SoCal HockeyCast

The Return of the Podcast... Stanley Cup 2008

ted@socalhockeycast.com — Wed, 28 May 2008 02:00:00 GMT

The SoCal HockeyCast, enhanced podcast is back! In this episode, listen and watch as Ted, Zoe, and Genevieve talk about the Stanley Cup Finals, the Los Angeles Kings, and what the heck happened to them for over a year! Remember, this is an enhanced podcast and has images, live URL links, and chapters. It's best viewed in iTunes... a free download from the Apple website at http://apple.com/itunes. If you have any questions or comments at all, please email us at info@socalhockeycast.com.

Beginners Hockey Workshop Awards

Fri, 23 May 2008 05:07:00 GMT

Unlike the Ducks and the Kings, the hockey season for participants in the Kings Beginning Hockey Workshop with Daryl Evans continues. I know that I didn't report on the "big game" we played on April 24th, but it's been a busy crazy time in our family! It was a surreal experience that seemed a total haze for me. My mom had just suffered a heart attack and was scheduled for a double bypass, so my mind definitely wasn't on the game. In fact, I'd be hard pressed to give much more of an assessment of the game other than, "It was fun," and "I was terrible." I didn't score any goals, but one of my passes was finished off, so I did get an assist. The Purple Team lost this game, but it was kind of bogus. Our goalie allowed two goals to the kids on the Yellow Team. Without the charity goals, we'd have won by a goal. Not a big deal. It was still a lot of fun. However, the most memorable moment came at the very end of the game. Yellow sqaud's #16, the goon I mentioned, was in the corner, checking one of my linemates, Ben Salisbury. Our goalie was pulled, and I hopped on the ice. The puck was in the corner near the goon and Ben. I got to skate at least half the length of the ice, turn at the last moment, and give him a good hip check. I must admit... knocking him to the ice was the BEST part of the night for me personally. Of course, in a real, competitive game, I would've been penalized for boarding, charging, and probably given a 10-minute misconduct. However, even though I'm not a violent person, by any means, I must admit... it was so satisfying to check the goon.

Okay, enough with the past. Now fast forward to the present. We also had a three-practice extension of the Beginning Hockey Workshop. It was a little smaller than the first session, but it was still well attended. The "Noah's Ark" theme continued. We still had the pairs of Salisburys and Wells. We lost the Dearmans and Manzellas, but we gained another Slee and a pair of Ballards. The practice really did extend our learning and gave us more practice on the ice to improve our skills. My skating has definitely improved immensely. I can skate backwards... not well, but not as poorly as before. I can stop and slow down, and I can turn on a dime... of course, the dime has to have a two-foot diameter, but it's better! I could definitely use a lot more work on skating with the puck because I can't stickhandle very well while moving.

Our second big game was this past Tuesday, May 21st. It was a great game. Much better than the last one. On the first shift of the game, I saw one of my linemates breaking out, and I got an outlet pass to him for a goal. Of course, it helps that Wolf has a wicked good wrist shot for the beginning group. I also got a centering pass to little David Wing who finished it off for another goal. The best part of the game was that my little girl, Genevieve, was in attendance, cheering on Team Purple. I really appreciated how she refrained from laughing each time I fell. Now that I'm skating a lot faster and taking more risks in lateral movement, I seem to fall a lot more. I guess since our teammate Fell is gone, someone else has to pick up the slack of eating ice the most.

It felt like a much faster game, and that might have been because we were playing on the other rink and had harder ice... Who knows? Maybe it was because we had all improved in our skating. For whatever reason, the game flew by, and I actually felt really good on the ice... well, except when I ran into the huge Asian American guy, Tony Liu. It was a comedic moment... much like when a cartoon character runs into a brick wall. I'll let you think about who was the brick wall. If you guessed me, then you're right on one! I bounced off of him and staggered back, but I stayed on my skates! Cool, huh? In the first week, I definitely would have fallen. I probably would have fallen in the second and third weeks as well. Unlike the run at the goon in the first game, this was totally accidental. I mean, come on, I'm not stupid. Tony's a nice guy, he's a lot bigger than me, and he's no goon. AND did I mention that I'm not a masochist? Two days later, I'm still feeling soreness in my neck and shoulders from the collision. Definitely an accident

Just for fun, I have some of my own awards to hand out... mostly to Team Purple players because I got to know them a little better, but we're all winners for taking the risk of learning how to play the game we love...

Most Likely to be Drafted by an NHL Team: It would be diplomatic to say that we all have the same chance (slim to none really), but the truth is that Little David Wing has the best shot at being a pro. He's a spitfire! He's tenacious, has good hockey sense, and seems to love the game.
Best Defenseman: This is a tie for me. Kao and Terry both had a knack for breaking up plays and bringing the puck back up ice.
Best Skater: Feldman. He can skate forwards, backwards, and laterally. I rarely see him fall because he's so strong on his skates.
Most Inspirational Player: The younger Ballard. I can't remember her first initial, but I think it's a G. Her smile was infectious. I really hope that I look that happy when I'm out on the ice, because that's exactly how I feel. Every time I was tired, I'd look over at Ballard and feel re-energized.
Toughest to Play Against: Another tie. Because of his size and reach, Liu was really hard to get around. However, I also thought that Nishime was really hard to play against. She had great hockey sense and would lift my stick off the puck whenever I tried to go around her.
Best Linemate: Dan Wincensten was a very generous player, but more than that, the times I was out there with him, I felt like we actually started developing a little chemistry. He always seemed to be in the right place at the right time, and I knew that he'd have a good scoring chance if I could just get him the puck.
Best Hair: Zack Byerley. He had just the right length of curls peeking out of the back of his helmet. Very Jaromir Jagr (post-mullet days).
Best Imitation of Steve Kasper: Ben Salisbury. His shadowing of the goon was reminiscent of Steve Kasper's work on Gretzky... not that the goon was anywhere near as good as Gretzky (or as classy), but Salisbury did a great job sticking to him.
Unsung Hero: Darren Slee. I can't explain it, but he had nice things to say about everyone, and he just went out and worked hard.
Coach of the Year: Was there any doubt? Daryl Evans led a rag tag bunch of players and whipped them into two teams! It won't be a movie like the Bad News Bears or the Mighty Ducks, but it was inspirational for all of us!

What if I gave myself an award, you may ask? If I was very generous, I'd say, "Most Likely to be Craig Janney," because I'm not a top tier playmaker, but I'm steady at making the right pass. If I was joking around, I'd say, "Most Likely to be Mistaken for Paul Kariya." Hey, gotta represent my Asian brothers and sisters!

I can't wait till June when we come together for four more days. I feel like we're playing more as a team: communicating on the ice, making unselfish plays, and supporting each other.

Beginners Workshop Session Four

ted@podpiperproductions.com — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 02:41:00 GMT

Session Number 4... The last one before the big game on Thursday night. It's incredible to see how far we've come. On a personal level, I've become proficient at stopping (at least with a snowplow and a gliding T-stop... still can't do the full out hockey stop), I'm better at going backwards, and I'm getting much faster and stronger on my skates (especially on the tight turns). The high point of the warm-up drills was when I was able to go down on one knee and pop right back up. It may not have been as smooth as many others, but it's the first time I was able to do it successfully. Of course, I was so shocked, that when I went to go down on my left knee, I totally messed up and fell. Oh well, next practice!

The absolute best part of the night was the last 20 minutes or so. We had an all-out scrimmage. Unofficially, the Purple Team won the scrimmage. Go Purple!!! I must say that I've never skated so hard in my life, but it was great to actually skate for a purpose. It's like that magical moment in life when students (usually in 3rd grade or so), go beyond learning to read, and they begin to read to learn. For those students, the light bulb goes on because they realize that there's a purpose for reading. It's not that I dislike the skating and stickhandling drills. I actually really do like them a lot, but when you scrimmage, then the whole point of why you're doing this becomes apparent.

Now, that said, for all the frantic skating I did, I felt like I barely did anything. The best part was getting the puck stickhandling a little and giving a decent outlet pass to Benjamin Salisbury who finished off the play with a nice goal. The big downer of the scrimmage was some wacko goon who somehow misunderstood the No Body Checking Rule. He ran me over pretty well and also hit Salisbury a couple times. He was also careless with his stickwork as well. I'm sure many of you are thinking that we're all beginners and he probably couldn't stop. Yeah, right... except that there were times that he wasn't even skating towards the puck when he would run over us. Goon!

On a totally different note... I had an email asking me what Daryl Evans is like as a coach/instructor. I've got to say, he's awesome. He really does a great job at demonstrating and explaining how to do the different drills. One good example is when he saw some of us having trouble with crossovers. He slowed it down in the demonstration and didn't just focus on what your feet and legs are doing. He talked about what your head and whole body does before you cross the leg over. It was great! I've never felt so stable doing a fast crossover. He's always encouraging and positive in his remarks. I've never had formal training in skating or stickhandling, and I have nothing but positives to say about Mr. Evans. If you're interested in learning how to play hockey, the LA Kings Beginner Workshops are a great way to do it (especially if Mr. Evans is teaching them)!

Third Practice is the Charm

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 05:52:00 GMT

Like the saying goes... third time's the charm! This practice went really well. I still skate backwards like an arthritic octogenarian, but it's getting better. I think I'm about the same speed as the famous Mr. Fell... although I think I'm the only one who fell down while going backwards tonight, but hey! I'm learning!

Here are some of the things I've noticed during practice three:

We're like the Noah's Ark of hockey workshops. We have a pair each of Wells, Dearmans, Manzellas, and Salisburys (I hope I've spelled all those names correctly).
Daryl Evans is a good coach/teacher. He instructs as a whole group, demonstrates, and has helpers also demonstrate... then it's independent practice time to show that we know what we're doing (or not).
The use of other experienced skaters to instruct allows for more activity, help, and input.
This one guy, Zeiler, is a really good skater and has helped me almost as much as the official helpers.
Unlike the NHL where we've only got Paul Kariya, Richard Park, Devin Setoguchi, and lesser known players like Chris Beckford-Tseu, Asian Americans are well represented at the Beginners Hockey Workshop... and we all definitely don't look alike. We run the gamut from petite (there's this one Asian American woman who's about my size... small) to hulking (one guy must be about 6'5"). As I said, we look nothing like each other, but I think there's a Lai (me), a Lau, a Liu, and a Kao... we'll need Bob Miller to do play-by-play to keep those names straight.
Finally... those aches and pains from muscles I didn't know I had... they're gone. So that either means I'm not working hard enough or I'm getting used to the whole skating and stick-handling thing. Judging by my production of sweat, I think it's the latter.

More later!

Beginners Hockey Workshop

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 03:34:00 GMT

Last night marked a departure from the last few Sunday nights. Many of you will be thinking that it had to do with the lack of a Kings' game. That's partially true, but it was actually strange because I didn't have hockey practice. Hockey practice? Yes, I am part of the LA Kings Beginners Hockey Workshop hosted by Daryl Evans.

Really learning to play ice hockey is something that I've always wanted to do. The handful of pick-up games in high school (roller and ice) and the two seasons of street hockey just don't count. I've wanted to learn how to actually play the sport I've loved for pretty much my whole life. With all this prior experience, you'd think that I'd do pretty well. All I can say is that I haven't truly embarrassed myself.

We've had two practices, and I'm not the worst, but I'm also far from the best. I've definitely improved already. Need proof? In the first practice, I couldn't stop. I was the guy who aimed for the emptiest stretch of boards to run into. However, by the second practice, I could definitely glide to a stop given enough time. Unfortunately, my biggest Achilles Heel was realized in that second practice... I can't skate backwards to save my life. The good news was that, I did improve enough to get across the ice (albeit very very VERY slowly). Some of the other participants actually gave up, turned around, and skated forward during the drill.

Having Daryl Evans lead the workshop is a thrill. Although he didn't have the lengthiest Kings' career, he's most notable for scoring the winning goal in the Miracle on Manchester... easily one of the greatest moments in Kings' history. He's an enthusiastic instructor and demonstrates what we need to do clearly. Of course, watching him do it so effortlessly (with unlaced skates no less), is a far cry from actually doing the drills, but it helps to see it done properly.

One of the other cool things has been the bonding. I haven't made any lifelong friends or anything, but all the participants are friendly and excited. We're all in it to learn, and it's a blast to have fun with a bunch of people. On the first night, Andrew Mason, one of the main organizers, announced that there was a hidden blogger amongst our ranks. One of the more amusing things about this was the fact that several of the participants thought it would be me because I "seemed pretty smart... the type to blog." Well, I'm more of a podcaster than a blogger, but I took it as a compliment. Hopefully I actually am smart, and don't just seem it.

On other news and notes, the SoCal HockeyCast podcast is in production again. It feels odd to have missed an entire season of podcasting, but my commute to work took out all my editing time. Armed with a new job (much closer to home) and two daughters who are ready to podcast, we're going to begin modestly in the next week or two.

Other than some playoff news, thoughts on the Kings, and other general SoCal Hockey thoughts, Genevieve and I will also talk about our respective learning curves for hockey... did I forget to mention that she's learning hockey as well? I'll save that for another time.

Ducks are Stanley Cup Champions!!!!

Thu, 7 Jun 2007 14:40:00 GMT

Would I have rather it been the Los Angeles Kings who won the Stanley Cup? Of course! But at the same time, I love hockey, especially when it's played so well, and the Anaheim Ducks played VERY well. More than anything, I'm proud that the Stanley Cup is coming to a West Coast team for the first time... and it's in Southern California!

Apparently, the third time's the charm. This is the third time that a SoCal hockey team made it to the Stanley Cup Finals, and finally... the Cup is coming to Southern California. The Anaheim Ducks, one of the early season favorites to win it all this season, thoroughly dominated the Ottawa Senators in the 6-2 win.

Except for about ten minutes in the second period, the Ducks controlled the play on both ends of the ice. The first period saw Anaheim take a 2-0 lead on goals by Andy McDonald (the Ducks' leading goal scorer in the playoffs) and Rob Niedermayer. They never lost the lead and never looked back, answering two goals by Daniel Alfredsson in the second period with two of their own by Travis Moen and Francois Beauchemin. Moen's tally was a fluke goal that he never even touched when Senators' star defenseman Chris Phillips passed the puck under Ray Emery. The Senator goalie slipped on the puck and pushed it into his own net. This was the difference in the game. All the momentum that the Senators seemed to have just dissipated. They mounted a few more attacks, and Alfredsson scored his second, but it didn't seem like their spirit was in the game anymore.

The Ducks finished off the scoring with Travis Moen's second goal of the game (one that he actually touched) and a final one by Corey Perry... then the celebration started! Captain Scott Niedermayer raised the Cup for the fourth time after graciously accepting a well-deserved Conn Smythe Trophy. All in all, a triumphant, celebratory night for the Ducks.

I'm most happy for Teemu Selanne. The veteran Ducks' forward truly resurrected his career and dispelled all the naysayers who felt like his career was over by finally winning his first Cup after 14 seasons in the NHL. Chris Pronger, much criticized for his move from Edmonton to Anaheim last season also won his first Cup. Much like Scott Stevens and Chris Chelios, Pronger is a warrior who plays on the edge (sometimes to the point of a cheap shot here or there), but there's no doubting how he can dominate a game. Perhaps the most sentimental moment was when Scott Niedermayer handed the Cup off to his brother Rob, one of only three Ducks from the 2003 team that made it to the Cup Finals (and lost to Scott's New Jersey Devils).

So congratulations to the Anaheim Ducks! Ownership and management has proven without a doubt that building a winner is WAY more successful than just creating an entertaining team. I hope Disney was paying attention.

Saluting Project Hope and the Usual News Around the League

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 17:08:00 GMT

Better late than never, right? We have our Kings and Ducks reports as well as some quick news around the league.

In this enhanced podcast, we're sad about Martin Havlat, blow a raspberry at the Philadelphia Flyers organization, and salute the Charles B. Wang Ice Hockey Project Hope. It's a great project that will benefit hockey worldwide eventually... hey, if you can get 1.3 billion people in China motivated in ice hockey, that means that the level of play will eventually go up! We also announce more great news for Kings' TV play-by-play man Bob Miller.

Here are some of the pertinent links...

You can buy Bob Miller's Tales From the Los Angeles Kings at Amazon, Borders, Barnes and Noble, or any other fine purveyor of books. For Amazon's link, click here.

You can also find out more about Project Hope, the Asia League, and a news link here as well.

Thanks for listening, and have a great week of hockey!

Minnesota Finding Life on the Road is Wild

Sat, 21 Oct 2006 13:53:00 GMT

Everybody knew that it would take a mighty team to defeat the Minnesota Wild. The Anaheim Ducks were up to the task, handing Minnesota their first loss in seven games. For the Wild, they're discovering that victories on the road are definitely more difficult than at home. Against the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday night, the Wild were out-played but managed to squeak out an overtime win. Against the Ducks, who are unquestionably more skilled than the Kings this season, the Wild were defeated 2-1.

Although the majority of the game was tightly played, the Ducks got goals from defensemen Scott Niedermayer and Sean O'Donnell in a slightly more open second period that saw Anaheim out-shoot Minnesota 15-7. The Wild's Pierre-Marc Bouchard notched one goal at the end of the second period, but it wasn't enough for the Wild.

The first period was all about Jean-Sebastien Giguere once again. The Wild out-shot the Ducks 10-5 in the first, but Giguere saved all of them and made 27 saves on 28 shots. Manny Fernandez was good as well, making 27 saves on 29 shots, but the Wild looked flat once again.

The Wild are now 6-1, leaving the Buffalo Sabres as the lone undefeated team. The Ducks improved to 5-0-2 and still have yet to lose a game in regulation.

Kings Leave Coyotes Howling in Phoenix

Fri, 20 Oct 2006 05:21:00 GMT

Playing their second game in two nights, the Los Angeles Kings left the "safe" confines of home and took on the struggling Phoenix Coyotes. Having scored a mere four goals in their four straight losses against the Dallas Stars (twice), Detroit Red Wings, and Minnesota Wild, the Kings entered the game struggling offensively, but looking slightly better defensively each game. So the Kings headed off to play the Phoenix Coyotes and face off against their back-up goalie, Mike Morrison. Apparently, this was the perfect recipe for creating a blow-out. The Kings took advantage of a very undisciplined Coyotes squad and scored four power-play goals to win 4-0. The three in the opening period chased Morrison from the nets.

The win was Mathieu Garon's second victory this season and ninth career shutout. Garon was totally on his game, making all 40 saves. The only difficult period was the second where Phoenix dictated the much of the play of the game and outshot the Kings 13 to 10. Some of his better saves were definitely momentum-deflating saves for the Coyotes. The third period was even more lopsided for shots on with Phoenix doubling up the Kings 16 to 8, but Garon made everything look easy, and the Kings' team defense rarely left rebounds untouched or players unchecked.

One only has to watch the steady, consistent play of Mathieu Garon to begin wondering when he'll begin playing an equal amount of games... if not take the #1 goalie job outright from Dan Cloutier. For the season, Garon is 2-1 with a 1.67 goals against average and .952 save percentage. Cloutier, on the other hand, has struggled with soft goals in all of his five games, going 1-3-1 with a 3.02 GAA and a .893 save percentage.

The offense was supplied by Alexander Frolov, Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, and Michael Cammalleri. Frolov, Kopitar, and Cammalleri all had multi-point games, each registering a goal and an assist. Rob Blake finally found the scoring sheet, in gathering two assists for the night. For Kopitar, this gives him three goals and six assists in only eight games this season (good enough to tie him for ninth in points around the league). The fact that all the young guns were contributing offensively was good news for the Kings who hope that each can supply more offense as the season continues. Patrick O'Sullivan even got into the action, getting some good chances, and clanging one off the post after beating the goalie.

In my humble opinion, the plays and players of the game included:

Mathieu Garon... He demonstrated above average flexibility and fast reactions. More importantly, he's been a steadying influence for the Kings because the players know that he'll make the saves.
Anze Kopitar... He patiently waited as a fluttering puck dropped below the crossbar before batting it into the net off the goalie. He not only waited for the puck, but he choked up on the stick so that his hand was at the blade before batting it in.
Brent Sopel... Not only was he steady on defense, he again contributed some good offense. However, his play of the game had to have been his blindside hit on Dave Scatchard. Just stepping out of the penalty box, Sopel spotted Scatchard skating right at him with his head down. Sopel laid into him and knocked Scatchard silly. The Coyotes forward had one of his gloves pop off as well as his helmet. In fact, his helmet flew off and went about 20-30 feet away. A great, clean, open-ice hit.

Finally, some Kings' fans are noticing a few interesting patterns in these first few games (other than the fact that Cloutier lets in at least one bad goal a game)...

When Alexander Frolov scores, the Kings win.
When Oleg Tverdovsky plays, the Kings win.

We hope Marc Crawford sees the same patterns, because he can do something about one of those two patterns...

Kings Unable to Answer the Call of the Wild in Overtime

Thu, 19 Oct 2006 05:32:00 GMT

The Los Angeles Kings played their best game of the year, but it still wasn't good enough against the Minnesota Wild. They played the Wild even for 60 minutes, but it only took a mere 25 seconds of overtime for Marian Gaborik to put the Kings back into their place. All it took was a bad turn over by Sean Avery in the offensive zone, and Gaborik and the Wild notched another win. The Wild remain undefeated in six games, and Los Angeles drops to 2-4-1. The good news is that the Kings do eke out a point after this match.

The truth is, the Kings looked very good throughout most of the game, playing a hard-nosed game without making poor choices. They generated great chances in several rushes, but just weren't able to capitalize on them. Patrick O'Sullivan scored the lone goal for the Kings (his first career NHL goal). That goal tied the game at 1-1. Brian Rolston had scored a few minutes earlier for the Wild.

Although Anze Kopitar didn't score, he played a solid game, making some great plays, generating chances, and winning plenty of key face-offs. It was actually a game of bests. Craig Conroy was also very active offensively and won the majority of his face-offs as well. O'Sullivan also played a very smart game, capitalizing on one of his many opportunities.

On defense, Brent Sopel also had a very good game, keeping Gaborik in check throughout regulation, and even single-handedly breaking up a partial break-away by the speedy forward. Rob Blake, who has looked a little tight and nervous in the first few games, made great choices, and even saved the game by sweeping the puck to safety after it got behind Dan Cloutier. Unfortunately, Blake was still unable to register his first point of the season.

Cloutier was decent. He allowed only two goals, but both were soft ones yet again. He faced 27 shots and turned away 25 of them. Throughout the game, Cloutier actually looked solid on several good chances by the Wild, but his poor handling of a rebound led to Rolston's goal. Cloutier's goaltending opponent, Manny Fernandez, made 34 of 35 saves and faced much more difficult scoring chances throught the game.

For the Kings, this may have been their fourth straight loss, but the point was well-deserved, and Los Angeles will look to build upon this effort tomorrow night against the Phoenix Coyotes.

Don't forget, our latest podcast, dedicated to William "Digital Bill" Douthett is available for download or playback on this page.

Shane O'Brien's "Gordie Howe Hat Trick" Leads Ducks Over the Wings

Thu, 19 Oct 2006 05:10:00 GMT

How many young Anaheim Ducks' forwards play physically, have decent hands, and skate with energy? Another one has made the team, and is making an impact. Rookie Shane O'Brien registered a goal, assist, and fight (a Gordie Howe Hat Trick) in the Ducks' 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings. In fact, O'Brien's power-play goal turned out to be the game-winner.

From beginning to end, the Ducks dominated the Wings, scoring three power-play goals and keeping the puck in the offensive zone for much of the game. Detroit looked flat and barely broke the shut out with a goal by Tomas Kopecky. The Ducks, on the other hand, outshot the Wings 31 to 22 and looked energized throughout. Jean-Sebastien Giguere made 21 of 22 saves and looked sharp, only allowing a goal on a broken play.

Corey Perry and Chris Kunitz also added a goal and assist, and Ryan Getzlaf added another assist in the win. The goal by Perry was especially revealing. The Ducks looked like an adult team playing against kids, constantly using the cycle to create chances and keeping the puck in the offensive zone. Without a defender on him, Perry lifted the puck easily over a fallen Dominik Hasek. "The Dominator" ended the night with only 27 saves on 31 shots.

The Ducks improve to 4-0-2 and have yet to lose in regulation.

Dedicated to Digital Bill

technologyted@mac.com — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 20:30:00 GMT

The SoCal HockeyCast would like to acknowledge and remember Bill Douthett, AKA "Digital Bill" of the Wizards of Technology. Digital Bill passed away recently. For more information, or the chance to donate to help defray the costs of the funeral, please visit The Wizards of Technology.

The first full week is over in the NHL, and we give our thoughts on what some of the very early season disappointments and surprises are. We give a big virtual raspberry to the decent teams that are struggling... like Ottawa, Carolina, Boston, Nashville, and Philadelphia. At the same time, we give a huge huzzah to the teams that are doing better than expected... like Atlanta and Columbus. We also laud the individuals who are making news around the league.

Our guest analyst, Genevieve, is present for the Ducks' Report. This enhanced podcast can be viewed on the homepage or you can use iTunes (free for Mac or Windows) to enjoy the bookmarks, images, URL links, and audio. If you have questions or comments, please send emails to technologyted@mac.com.

Wings Soar Over Los Angeles

Tue, 17 Oct 2006 19:24:00 GMT

There was good and bad news at the Staples Center on Monday night: the bad news was that the Los Angeles Kings suffered another loss (their third in a row), but the good news was that the Kings played with more intensity and effort against the Detroit Red Wings. It wasn't enough, as the Kings fell 3-1 to the Wings. However, Los Angeles fans got to see quite a few improvements in this game.

For the majority of the game, the Kings actually played evenly with the Wings. The lone goal for the Kings was scored by Sean Avery off of assists by Anze Kopitar and Aaron Miller. Kopitar actually started the play in the defensive zone by controlling a puck, waiting patiently, and putting a perfect, stick-to-stick pass to Miller who was rushing up ice. Miller, with speed, let rip a low, hard slapshot that Chris Osgood was able to block but unable to control. both Avery and Kopitar crashed the net, and Avery was able to get his blade on the puck to shovel it in. The Kings' 1-0 lead was enjoyable, but it didn't last long.

The Wings stormed back with three straight goals. The first and third were essentially breakaways that were the result of defensive lapses for the Kings. On the first one, Rob Blake made a poor choice during a 2-on-2 rush. Although Mattias Norstrom had his man covered, Blake skated out of his way to lay a bone-crunching open ice hit on the Wings' Franzen. Unfortunately, what could have been an inspiring play, turned sour for the Kings as Franzen was able to make the pass prior to the hit. The Wings' blah blah was able to go in on Dan Cloutier alone and deke him enough to open the 5-hole where he scored.

Speaking of the 5-hole, Cloutier allowed all three goals between his legs. Although he can't be blamed for the first and third goals, the second one, the go-ahead goal by Robert Lang, was scored at an extremely sharp angle. The bad news is that this was yet another soft goal allowed by Cloutier. The good news was that it didn't come on the first shot of the game! Cloutier ended up with XX saves on XX shots while Osgood made XX of XX saves.

The Kings continue their rough homestand against the high-flying Minnesota Wild on October 18th. This marks the return of ex-King star Pavol Demitra whom they traded for Patrick O'Sullivan and a 1st round pick.

Shootout Has Ducks Seeing Stars

Mon, 16 Oct 2006 20:17:00 GMT

The Ducks of Anaheim were faced with the challenge of taking on one of the best teams in the league. It's easy for them to walk all over teams like the Blues, Coyotes, and Kings, but what about one of the league's elite? After doing well in the first period, and coming out flat against the Dallas Stars in the second period, the Ducks rallied to tie the game in the waning seconds of regulation to push the undefeated Stars to overtime. Unfortunately, the Ducks lost another shootout and dropped their second straight game.

Starting goalie Ilya Bryzgalov, trying to maintain his fight for #1 status allowed two goals on 14 shots and was pulled in favor of Jean-Sebastien Giguere. The move proved to be a good one by head coach Randy Carlyle as the Ducks' team responded with more inspired play. They battled back with goals by Scott Niedermayer and Andy McDonald in the third period. The final tally of regulation by McDonald tied the game with a mere 19 seconds left in the third period.

For the Ducks, one of the worst teams in the overtime period last season, it was a bad re-run of the other night against Mike Dunham and the Islanders, as Marty Turco and the Stars proved too tough. Turco made a particularly good save on a slick move by Ryan Shannon, and the Stars only needed goals by Sergei Zubov and Jussi Jokinen.

In the end, the Ducks are probably proud of pulling out one point in a game that they weren't mentally prepared to take on, but they need to find a way to win those tough overtime games. They'll have another chance to prove themselves against an elite team when they take on the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night.

Deja Vu at the Staples Center

Sun, 15 Oct 2006 14:16:00 GMT

In the blink of an eye, the Kings were facing off against the Dallas Stars. It was at the Staples Center. They lost 4-1... hey! Wait a minute! Didn't this just happen?

Playing in a homestand that featured a rare two-game match-up with the same team, the Kings were again dominated by the Stars, allowing three power play goals and losing the majority of individual battles for the puck. However, there were a few differences in this game. For example, Mathieu Garon was in goal instead of Dan Cloutier, the Kings didn't allow a goal on the very first shot, Michael Cammelleri scored the Kings' lone goal of the night (instead of Raitis Ivanans), and, unlike Thursday, the Kings actually came out and played hard at first. The first ten minutes of the game were one of the Kings' few highlights of the night. Although the Kings didn't score, they matched Dallas' intensity and looked much better than Thursday night.

Then the penalties started coming in. With four penalties called on the Kings in a row, the Stars capitalized, scoring their first two goals. The Kings couldn't seem to get any bodies into the right places to block the shots of Stephane Robidas. They were late covering Brendan Morrow twice, leading to two goals. The whole game was one big penalty-fest with 19 power play opportunities but the Kings only partook of the special teams party once.

There were a few bright moments for the Kings. They included a beautiful shot by Cammelleri, steady play by Lubomir Visnovsky (who made a beautiful behind-the-back pass on Cammelleri's goal), and the intensity of Scott Thornton (whose energy-line cycled well). Garon wasn't spectacular, but he couldn't be faulted on any of the goals by Dallas. There were several screens and deflections... and, ultimately, the Kings need to do a better job of playing team defense in front of him.

The Kings' home schedule doesn't get much easier as they take on the Detroit Red Wings on Monday night.

Dallas Overpowers the Kings

Fri, 13 Oct 2006 22:01:00 GMT

When tough-guy Raitis Ivanans scores the only goal for the Kings in a game, you know that they're in trouble. Taking a note from the Ducks' playbook, and skating without any urgency or passion, the Los Angeles Kings lost 4-1 to the Dallas Stars. Virtually every battle in the corners was lost to the Stars. Rookie-phenom Anze Kopitar was held off the scoresheet for the first time this young season. Dan Cloutier, still trying to play himself into game shape, looked less-than-spectacular in allowing four goals on only 29 shots.

Stars goalie Marty Turco was superb, stopping 32 of 33 shots and making key saves during the few moments of semi-sustained pressure by the Kings. Eric Lindros registered three assists and Brendan Morrow and Mike Modano (the captain and the ex-captain) both had one goal and one assist on the night.

The one bright spot for the Kings (other than the bad bounce that resulted in Ivanans' fluke goal) was the play of Patrick O'Sullivan who worked hard to get open and registered five shots on goal. Kopitar, seemingly shadowed at every turn, ended up with only one shot on goal was a non-factor.

All in all, it was an effort to forget about... unless it inspires the Kings to play harder; and they will get a chance to show their mettle on Saturday in a re-match against the Stars at the Staples Center.

Ducks Fall to Lowly Islanders

Thu, 12 Oct 2006 21:39:00 GMT

The Ducks of Anaheim were riding high... they'd won three straight games for their best start in history. The New York Islanders, fresh off of a disappointing loss against the Los Angeles Kings the night before, were 0-3 for the season (their worst start in 35 years). Logic would have dictated that it would be an easy win for the Ducks... however, hockey and parity meant that logic had nothing to do with the Ducks 5-4 loss in the shoot out to the Isles.

Leading 1-0 on a goal by Samuel Pahlsson in the first period, the Ducks were the ones with a sustained attack, out-shooting the Isles 17-5 in the first period alone. Then the second period hit and the Ducks had already fallen asleep at the wheel. Mike York, Trent Hunter, and Chris Simon scored within a 1:46 span of time and the Ducks were back on their heels.

Pahlsson scored his second goal of the game mid-way through the second period to pull within a goal of the Islanders and start the Ducks comeback... and come back they did. The third period saw the Ducks out-shoot the Isles 21-7. After power play goals by Chris Pronger and Corey Perry, the Ducks seemed to have taken control once again. However, the Islanders, desperate for their first win of the year clawed back again, scoring with under four minutes to play.

After a scoreless overtime period, Mike York scored in the sixth round of the shootout to give the Islanders their first win of the season. Perhaps the biggest hero of the night was Mike Dunham, the Isles' back-up goalie, who made 46 saves on 50 shots, and made several huge saves that kept the Islanders' hopes alive.

The Ducks can only hope that this was one bad game against an inspired lesser team instead of a portent of poor work ethic to come.

Sopel Improves Game with Two Good Knees

Wed, 11 Oct 2006 05:34:00 GMT

The Los Angeles Kings continued their home stand against the New York Islanders and their 15-year-contract goalie, Rick DiPietro. Despite an up-and-down first period that saw some good offense and soft goals, the Kings overcame a hard-skating Islander team to win 4-2.

Brent Sopel, giving more evidence that two good knees are better than one, registered an assist to go along with his game-winning goal on one of the many power plays on the night. There were 19 total power plays for the game (12 for the Kings), and Sopel was willing to capitalize on the man-advantage. Except for a huge mistake in the first period that resulted in a the Isles' second goal of the game, Sopel played a strong game and helped stimulate the offense.

Dan Cloutier looked rusty in the first period, failing to hug the post on the first goal and mis-judging the speed and movement on the second goal, but he got steadier as the game went on, shutting down the Isles for the final two periods. In fact, he made some very solid stops in the third period to preserve the Kings' one goal lead. In the end, it was a much better outing than Cloutier's first game against the Ducks... which essentially was his first game in a year after he missed the majority of the 2005-2006 season.

Michael Cammalleri, possibly the best forward on the ice in this game, added his second goal of the season with a quick wrist shot off of a fast rush. Tom Kostopoulos, playing in his first game of the season also added a goal. Kostopoulos' goal came off of a superior cycle with tons of pressure that broke down the Islander's defense. It was a great example of creating chances with hard work. Alexander Frolov rounded out the scoring for the Kings, converting another power play goal with less than a minute left in the third period.

Another impressive King was Oleg Tverdovsky who registered two more assists and made some outlet passes that resulted in good opportunities for the Kings. Rookie phenom, Anze Kopitar was more tightly checked and didn't seem to find as many openings, but he still was able to get an assist in the end.

For a team that was supposed to be struggling offensively, the Kings have been scoring by committee and have 11 goals in three games. Although it is only three games in, they don't look like a team that has been chosen to finish near the bottom of the standings. Of course, rank in the standings can change quickly and drastically... as the Kings found out in the second half of last season... but it's important for their confidence to begin the season with strong effort.

The Kings continue their current homestand on Thursday against the Dallas Stars and new captain Brendan Morrow.

Kunitz and Giguere Keep St. Louis Blue

Tue, 10 Oct 2006 12:40:00 GMT

Three games... three victories. Because so many hockey prognosticators picked the Ducks to be among the leaders in the NHL, their fast start isn't necessarily suprising. However, what is surprising is the fact that the starting goalie for two of those victories was Jean-Sebastien Giguere who struggled for much of last season. Giguere apparently has put the injuries and confidence issues behind him. For the second straight game, he looked extremely strong in net, stopping all 34 shots he faced in leading the Ducks to a 2-0 shut out of the St. Louis Blues.

Chris Kunitz supplied all the offense the Ducks required, scoring two power play goals from within spitting distance of Curtis Sanford, the Blues' goalie. Not blessed with the hulking size of Dustin Penner, Kunitz plants himself like a young Dino Ciccarelli. His timely goals and Giguere's equally timely saves have helped the Anaheim Ducks to their fastest start in their history.

Not willing to concede the #1 goalie status to youngster Ilya Bryzgalov, Giguere is healthy, confident, and looking great. The win was his 22nd career shut out.

For the Blues, this represented their third straight loss and 12 straight road loss dating back to last season. Except for the second period, they looked out of step and tired. Keith Tkachuk, a perennial star, was noticeably absent with his involvement. He has one assist in their first three games. If the Blues are to avoid being the worst team in the league, they need him to wake up!

For the Ducks, they just need to continue doing all the little things right. The league and press expect them to.

Kings Rebound in Home Opener Against Blues

Sun, 8 Oct 2006 11:12:00 GMT

Coming off of a tough but predictable loss against the Ducks, the Los Angeles Kings beat the St. Louis Blues 4-1 at the Staples Center. Apparently, Mathieu Garon is unwilling to concede the #1 goalie status to newcomer Dan Cloutier. Garon came up big, stopping 35 of 36 shots and looking very positionally sound between the pipes.

Much criticized for his lack of willingness to shoot the puck more, Alexander Frolov registered three shots on goal and ended the night with one assist to go along with his game-winning goal. Patrick O'Sullivan, the key player in the Demitra trade registered his first NHL point with an assist on the game-winner. Lubomir Visnovsky, Brent Sopel, and Michael Cammalleri each had a goal for the night. Cammalleri's goal was a beautiful one-timer from an extremely sharp angle that seemed to find the smallest hole left open by Manny Legace.

The Blues Martin Rucinsky netted the lone goal for the Blues in the second period... a period in which St. Louis out-shot the Kings 19-8, but the Kings ended up leading 2-1 in that period.

On a side note, this was also the first game for Oleg Tverdovsky in a Kings' uniform. He had a number of fine outlet passes that resulted in good chances for the forwards.

Perhaps the biggest story of the night was the rookie superstar-in-the-making, Anze Kopitar. After netting two goals in the loss to the Ducks, Kopitar was held off the goal sheet against the Blues, but ended up with three assists (including one on Frolov's game-winner). He was constantly skating hard and creating chances throughout the night. A great example of that was his assist on the Sopel goal. After beating the defense, Kopitar got in too far and passed Legace. Somehow, knowing where Sopel was, he whipped a quick pass back for an easy tip in. The bad news for Kopitar is that he is not on pace to score 164 goals on the season anymore. However, with two goals and three assists after two games, he is on pace to score 82 goals, 103 assists, and 205 points for the season... which he probably won't get, but it's fun to think about his potential impact! Definitely the real deal!

The Kings continue their homestand on Tuesday against the New York Islanders.

Ducks Win Second Game in a Row

Sun, 8 Oct 2006 02:38:00 GMT

The Ducks of Anaheim may have lost the adjective "mighty," but the players don't seem to have noticed. Playing in their second game in as many nights, the Ducks shrugged off any fatigue and came out strong against the Phoenix Coyotes, winning 2-1 off of a pair of power play goals by Teemu Selanne and Dustin Penner.

For the second night in a row, the Ducks were outshot by their opponent, but this time Ilya Bryzgalov was up to the task, limiting the lone goal to defenseman Zbynek Michalek. Bryzgalov ended the night with 34 saves... not as many as Giguere the night before, but more than enough to be a huge factor in the win.

Big things are expected of the hulking Penner who had three goals, six assists, and nine points during last season's playoff run. Still considered a rookie this year because he only played in 19 regular season games, his size, skill, and work ethic are a portent of good things to come.

The Ducks continue their season Monday agains the St. Louis Blues.

Kopitar Makes a Big Impression in Opener

Sat, 7 Oct 2006 14:49:00 GMT

The Los Angeles Kings opened strong against the Anaheim Ducks. In the first two periods, they even outshot the Ducks 36-19, but the superior offense of the Ducks eventually wore away the Kings. Anaheim won 4-3, and Jean-Sebastien Giguere stood tall in net ending the night with 41 saves. Chris Kunitz was the offensive hero for the Ducks, getting an assist on the game-tying goal and scoring the eventual game-winner.

The loss for the Kings wasn't all bad news. They played even with the Ducks (a pre-season favorite to win the Stanley Cup) for about fifty minutes, and rookie phenom Anze Kopitar scored two goals. His first goal made Chris Pronger look downright silly. Although the Kings are predicted to end near the bottom of the standings, their future looks bright if they can build a solid team around a potential superstar.

Corey Perry, Andy McDonald, and Ryan Getzlaf rounded out the scoring fo the Ducks while Lubomir Visnovsky netted the Kings' only other goal. The game was fast-paced, but seemed to have some fits and starts as new head coach Marc Crawford tinkered with the different line combinations throughout the game. One thing was apparent, no matter whom he was placed with, Kopitar's line seemed to produce the best pressure.

The Kings and Ducks continue their schedule tonight against the Blues and Coyotes.

The Drop of the Puck Means it's SoCal HockeyCast Time!

technologyted@mac.com — Wed, 4 Oct 2006 21:09:00 GMT

Like the swallows returning to San Juan Capistrano, the SoCal HockeyCast team returns with the drop of the puck, because that means it's Hockey Time! However, we didn't just take the summer off, the SoCal HockeyCast team followed all the news around the league for the past few months (especially the Kings and Ducks). We also sought out some hockey during the "off-season" to keep active in the hockey scene. Zoe, Genevieve, and I were able to see a great tournament at the Anaheim Ice during Labor Day Weekend. The Early Bird Tournament was a lot of fun. Hear what the girls had to say about it.

Zoe and Genevieve also give their updates on the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks (they are "Mighty" no more, but ironically they're even mightier than last year). Finally, I salute the Hurricanes, pine over the retiring players, and take aim with the Islanders.

As always, this is an enhanced podcast, it can be enjoyed on the Libsyn site or with iTunes or QuickTime. Both iTunes and QuickTime are free for Windows and Mac users. As always, you can email questions and comments to technologyted@mac.com. Our phone is disconnected, so no more calls for now! Enjoy the podcast!

Ducks Lose Close One to Oilers

Sat, 20 May 2006 16:43:00 GMT

The Ducks didn't come out flat. Not really. They didn't blow away the Oilers either. Where Calgary and Colorado appeared hapless and helpless at times, allowing the Ducks to dictate the pace of the game, the Oilers came out and matched Anaheim with equal speed, intensity, and goaltending... actually, Dwayne Roloson may have even out-played Ilya Bryzgalov (and when has that been the case this playoff year?). Roloson made 30 saves to Bryzgalov's 23, and the Oilers won 3-1.

Anaheim really didn't do anything wrong, but they just weren't as perfect as they had been against the Avs and Flames. Although they out-shot the Oilers, the majority of their shots were from far range and came through without any traffic in front of the net. Bryzgalov wasn't to blame in anyway. He kept the Ducks in the game. The two goals that he allowed were ones that were nearly unstoppable. It was the offense that could have done better.

Except for a goal by Andy McDonald to tie the game at one apiece, the Ducks didn't cash in on any other offense. The Ducks have what it takes to match the Oilers... it's just a matter of execution. They hope to tie the series at one game apiece on Sunday night.

Western Conference Teams Set

Thu, 18 May 2006 14:35:00 GMT

The wait for the Ducks is finally over! The Edmonton Oilers prevailed in their second round series against the San Jose Sharks. Using a blend of speed, quality goaltending, solid defense, key contributions from veteran and younger players, and heavy hitting, the Oilers beat the Sharks 6-0 to wrap up the series four games to two. Edmonton dropped the first two games in San Jose before winning the next four straight.

If Edmonton's secret to success sounds familiar to Ducks' fans, that's because these are the same qualities that have helped propel Anaheim into the Western Conference Finals. The Ducks will have been off for over a week, but they have vowed that they won't be rusty. Although Randy Carlyle has been putting the team through intense workouts, playing in "game" mode is always different.

This will be an interesting series because it pits two of the hottest teams against each other, and both have peaked well, upsetting teams in the playoffs with better records. The Ducks maintain home ice advantage over the Oilers who finished 8th in the Western Conference. Both teams match-up well in terms of speed, but the Ducks have had more depth in their line-up and the hotter goalie.

Ilya Bryzgalov hopes to continue his spectacular play... and he'll need to for the Ducks to outlast Edmonton. Anaheim will also need the same balanced scoring they received from their top three lines. One of the best match-ups will be on the blueline. It'll be interesting to see who can control the game more effectively, Chris Pronger or Scott Niedermayer.

One thing is for sure, the wait is over and the Ducks are ready and raring to go. Game 1 will be in Anaheim on Friday.

Ducks Complete Lopsided Sweep of Avs

Fri, 12 May 2006 15:43:00 GMT

The Mighty Ducks hockey machine completed their convincing display of teamwork with a sweep of the Avalanche 4-1. It was an interesting game because the Avs looked like they were doing almost everything right. They came out with passion, determination, and, most importantly, desperation... and they scored the first goal of the game within the first three minutes of the opening period, but the Ducks were patient, got amazing goaltending, and made the most of every opportunity they had when the Colorado defense made mistakes (and if you're name's Patrice Brisebois, then that seemed constant the whole night long).

The line of Joffrey Lupul (1 assist), Dustin Penner (1 goal and 1 assist), and Todd Marchant (2 goals and 1 assist) continued their dominance of the Avalanche, and Teemu Selanne even chipped in the game-winning goal. The "LuMP" line ended up with a combined nine goals and ten assists in the four-game sweep... more than double the goal output the entire Colorado team was able to muster.

The Avalanche strategy was simple: put bodies in front of the net, get lots of shots on goal, and work for quality rebounds. They did all of that, out-shooting the Ducks 41-33, but Ilya Bryzgalov was brilliant. He made great saves and led the Ducks to the victory. His 0.87 GAA and .967 SP are the tops in the playoffs for goalies who have played more than one full game. Those scintillating numbers are remarkable considering the fact that he was supposed to be the bench warmer to Giguere. Without Bryzgalov's steady and often amazing play, the Ducks would not have gotten this far.

In a neat twist of fate or irony, the Ducks, who had the longest of the first round series, had the shortest series of the second round. They get to wait and rest up before the Western Conference Finals against either San Jose or Edmonton. Finally! A well-deserved break.

Lupul is Mighty Big Hero

Thu, 11 May 2006 00:23:00 GMT

The Avalanche came to play in game three... at least partially... and they made their match against the Mighty Ducks a little closer. Unfortunately for them, the result was still the same... a loss. On the strength of four goals by Joffrey Lupul, the Mighty Ducks won 4-3 in overtime at Colorado. This puts the Avalanche on the brink of elimination with little hopes of coming back and making it to the Western Conference Finals.

By throwing lots of bodies in front of the net, the Avalanche were able to prove that Ilya Bryzgalov is human, but their inconsistent team defense allowed the Ducks to come back and continue to dominate the offensive end. Anaheim outshot Colorado 39-29 for the game. Although this was a better showing for the Avs, the Ducks continued to play a tight game with much more consistent passion. Especially in overtime, when the Ducks outshot the Avalanche 12-5, it seemed that the Colorado players were unable match Anaheim's intensity.

If Lupul was the hero, then his sidekick (a very BIG sidekick) was Dustin Penner who had three assists. Penner has been huge this series (offensively, defensively, and physically). At 6'4" and 245 pounds, Penner is one of the bigger forwards on the Ducks' squad. He has played a superb series, making some big hits and playing sound defense to help stop Colorado's big line. His four assists and +5 rating in three games displays his ability to contribute at both ends of the ice.

Bryzgalov's streak was ended at three shutouts in a row and almost 250 minutes without allowing a goal (second all-time). Perhaps the more important streak is "31." That's the amount of penalties that the Ducks squad have killed off in this series.

The outlook is bleak for the Avalanche, especially if their power play continues to flounder under Anaheim's intense pressure, but the series isn't over until Anaheim wins four. However, the Ducks haven't taken any of the games lightly. Game four continues on Thursday night in Denver with the Ducks hungry to make the Conference Finals for the first time since their run in 2003.

Live From the Artwalk

technologyted@mac.com — Mon, 8 May 2006 20:53:00 GMT

The SoCal HockeyCast crew had the honor of being one of the featured podcasters at the Spring Artwalk at the Brewery on May 23rd. We were recording in front of a live audience at the LA Podcasters Studio. It was a lot of fun, but I think our analysts, Zoe and Genevieve, were a bit tongue-tied and twisted when it came to speaking in front of other people! However, we thought we should still post this for posterity.

This enhanced Podcast is a bonus episode where we talk about our take on why the Kings didn't make the playoffs.

We'll also have our regularly scheduled Podcast on the playoff action up soon as well, so enjoy this little gift. As always, you can contact us at technologyted@mac.com or by calling 206-337-1885.

Ducks "Bryz" to Another Shutout Victory

Mon, 8 May 2006 02:17:00 GMT

Ilya Bryzgalov was "McCool" as ice as he recorded his third straight shutout to help lead the Ducks to a 3-0 victory over the visiting Colorado Avalanche. With the win, Bryzgalov tied Frank McCool for the record of three consecutive shutouts by a rookie set in 1945. He's now had 229 minutes and 42 seconds without allowing a goal, fourth best ever, and longest among rookie goalies.

Although Bryzgalov was great in goal, he rarely had to make spectacular saves... that's how good the rest of the team was in front of him. After the game, he acknowledged that it was a team effort. The Ducks allowed only 22 shots on goal (10 in the first two periods). They allowed very few second chances to the Colorado forwards and out-worked and out-skated the Avalanche yet again. However, that said, Bryzgalov did make some key saves to preserve the shutout. None more so than the point blank save on Alex Tanguay that the Duck goalie reached back to nab with a quick glove hand.

Ryan Getzlaf's power play goal was the game-winner, and Ruslan Salei and Joffrey Lupul added two more in the second period. Two of the best forwards for the Ducks were Dustin Penner and Todd Marchant. Penner made some big hits, skated well, and gathered an assist with a great no-look pass to Lupul while digging the puck out along the boards. Marchant helped contain the Avalanche's big line while collecting two assists.

Avalanche goalie Jose Theodore played a very good game. However, he faced 35 Duck shots for the game. His own team managed a mere 22 shots on goal in the loss. None of the three goals allowed can be pinned on Theodore's play, and many of the Avalanche players expressed the fact that they need to step-up their game to compete with the Ducks.

The key for the Ducks will be to continue their intense play in game three at Colorado on Tuesday night. Although the Ducks made few (if any) errors in game two, and they'll be hard-pressed to repeat such a perfect performance, Anaheim has proven that they can beat anyone if they skate well, hit hard, and take advantage of the opposing team's breakdowns.

Ducks Stifle Avalanche Offense in Game One

Sat, 6 May 2006 18:30:00 GMT

Although the Mighty Ducks had the better regular season record, garnering home ice with it, there were many factors that actually put Anaheim at the disadvantage against the Avalanche...

The Ducks played a hard fought seven-game series against the Flames.
The Avalanche have been able to rest after beating the Dallas Stars in five games.
The Ducks easily beat the Flames 3-0 in the final match, which often results in a let-down the next game.
The Avalanche have more offensive depth than the Flames.
Jose Theodore, the Avalanche goalie and former Vezina Trophy winner, has been looking better and better.
The Ducks have had consistency issues all season long.
The Avalanche are former Stanley Cup winners and are led by future hall-of-famers Joe Sakic and Rob Blake.

Well, it turned out that the Avalanche were never able to shake off the rust from sitting around, and the Ducks easily beat them 5-0 to open the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It wasn't just a beating, it was an embarrassment for Colorado.

Teemu Selanne welcomed his former team to Anaheim by registering a goal and two assists in a big second period, but the Ducks only needed Sammi Pahlsson's opening goal at 2:48 of the second period. Francois Beauchemin (two assists) and Chris Kunitz (one goal, one assist) also enjoyed multiple-point games, and Anaheim got contributions by Joffrey Lupul and Travis Moen. The rookie Beachemin also played a solid defensive game and logged the most minutes of any player on either team. His value to the Ducks seems to increase with each game.

Both Jose Theodore and Ilya Bryzgalov recorded 29 saves... however, the Colorado goalie faced 34 shots. This marks the third straight win for rookie goalie Ilya Bryzgalov and second consecutive shutout for him in these playoffs. The record of three straight shutouts by a rookie goalie is held by Frank McCool of the Toronto Maple Leafs from back in 1945.

The Ducks out-worked and out-played the Avalanche in all aspects of the game. It seemed like a repeat of the final game against the Flames. However, the Ducks need to be careful. The Avalanche have something that Calgary didn't... an abundance of offensive talent. Sakic, Tanguay, Hejduk, Konowalchuk, Brunette, and Blake can all contribute offensively, and when he's on his "A" game, Theodore is tough to beat. That said, Colorado should be wary of the Ducks who have been flying high with balanced offense, sound team defense, and stellar goaltending.

Game two continues at the Pond on Sunday afternoon 12 PM PST. Quack!

Ducks Join "Fantastic Four" Underdogs and Declare "Flame Off"

Thu, 4 May 2006 17:26:00 GMT

A picture is worth a thousand words. The image of Ilya Bryzgalov making a save on Jarome Iginla tells it all. The Ducks pulled off a monumental upset by going up to Calgary and embarrassing the Flames 3-0 in front of a sold-out home crowd. In the wild Western Conference, the upset probably doesn't come as a surprise, but it's a win for a team that many counted out of the playoffs in January. Instead, riding on the shoulders of their "back-up" goalie, the Ducks are moving onto the second round and facing off against the Colorado Avalanche.

Miikka Kiprusoff, a front-runner for the Vezina Trophy as the league's best goalie, was very good, stopping 29 of 31 shots. However, the rest of the Flames came out flat, lacked determination, and left him to defend for himself. On the opposite side, the Ducks came out flying, setting the tone for the entire game and limiting the Flames to only 22 shots on goal. The Flames only managed three shots on goal in the second period and never mounted a serious attack.

The Ducks played a controlled, disciplined game, only giving the potent Flame power play four man-advantages for the entire night. As with many of the games in this series, the Ducks got scoring from several sources. All-star Teemu Selanne had a goal, defensive blueliner Ruslan Salei added the second, and new addition Jeff Friesen put in an empty-netter.

The series ended on a very low note for the entire Flames squad, but perhaps the player who felt the worst was Kiprusoff who couldn't pull off a miracle without any help. The Calgary defense, a strong point through the season, looked rattled and out of position. Turnovers and lack of coverage led to the first two goals. Dion Phaneuf was on the ice for all three goals by the Ducks. His defensive partner, Roman Hamrlik was on the ice for two of the goals, and made a bad clearing pass that led to the second goal.

The Ducks' second round match-up against the surging Colorado Avalanche will begin on Friday night in Anaheim... a switch for the Ducks who are now the "favored" team as decided by regular season records. (Thanks to Alexia for pointing out my error)!

Ducks Force Game Seven

Wed, 3 May 2006 02:22:00 GMT

Except for the 5-2 drubbing the Ducks took in Game 3, all the matches in this first round have been decided by one goal... so it wasn't much of a surprise that the Ducks won by a score of 2-1. Ilya Bryzgalov was the hero of the day, out-dueling Miikka Kiprusoff for the win. As I stated in the last podcast (out now, if you haven't downloaded it), if the Ducks played gritty, they win the game... they played a great game with grit and speed, and they've now evened the series at three games apiece.

His efforts weren't without help. The entired Ducks team played a stellar game, skating with speed and determination. Although Jarome Iginla tried to set the tone with a fight at the beginning of the game against Francois Beauchemin and charging and roughing penalties at the end, it was all Ducks in between that. They out-shot the Flames 30-22 and limited them to a mere six shots on goal in the second period... ironically, the Ducks only had three shots in that period, but scored on one of them.

It was a team effort through and through. After Stephane Yelle opened the scoring for Calgary, Teemu Selanne scored the game-tying goal... twice. The first one was waved off by referee Koharski because of a perceived goalie interference. Replays showed that the contact with Kiprusoff didn't happen until after the puck went in and out of the net. The second time Selanne scored was off of a great pass by Andy McDonald, and this one counted.

The game-winning goal was a beautiful one by Scott Niedermayer. Fighting his way to a rebound in front of the net, Niedermayer didn't shoot from four feet away. Instead, sensing that Kiprusoff was ready for the shot, he quickly skated around and behind the net, sending a shot/pass to the front. A sliding Rhett Warrener banked it into his own goal, and the Ducks were up 2-1 with a less than six minutes to play.

Bryzgalov shut the door, and the Ducks ended up with a win. It looks like Randy Carlyle made the right choice for starting goalie! Bryzgalov now has a 1.08 goals against average and .958 save percentage... second only to Martin Brodeur.

The Ducks go up to Calgary to play the crucial seventh game of the series on Wednesday night. This is the final match that needs to be played out in the first round. If the current trend in the Western Conference continues, then the Ducks should beat the Flames. The other three series in the West have ended in upset with the Oilers, Avalanche, and Sharks beating their opponents with better records.

Sharks, Devils, Senators, & Avalanche, Oh My!

technologyted@mac.com — Tue, 2 May 2006 02:51:00 GMT

The SoCal HockeyCast returns with coverage of the 2006 NHL Playoffs! In this episode, our enhanced podcast reports on the big upsets in this year's playoffs so far. The Kings didn't make it, but we still cover hockey from our unique Southern California perspective. We also give the Ducks' Report in their first round series against the Calgary Flames.

We break down the match-ups that have completed so far and give our thoughts on what built the first four winners. If you have any questions or comments, please email us at technologyted@mac.com or call us at 206-337-1885.

Flames on Brink of Knocking Out Ducks

Sun, 30 Apr 2006 21:19:00 GMT

The pattern of going back and forth with losses and wins continued on Saturday night as the Ducks lost to the Flames 3-2. Stymied by Miikka Kiprusoff in the first two periods, Anaheim spotted Calgary a 3-0 lead before finally responding. Unfortunately, it was a case of too little too late as their rally fell short.

Anaheim's two third period goals came from Andy McDonald and Rob Niedermayer, but it wasn't enough to overcome two goals by Jarome Iginla and another from Tony Amonte.

Kiprusoff was very good, stopping 26-of-28 shots. Jean-Sebastien Giguere was very ordinary, stopping only 5-of-8 before getting pulled early in the second period. Ilya Bryzgalov played very well, stopping all 19 shots he faced. His stats have been superb, raising a small dilemma for Randy Carlyle and his goalie choice for the sixth (and possibly final) game. Giguere has had very mediocre statistics while Bryzgalov has been more than solid.

The Ducks will try to stave off elimination on Monday night.

Ducks Even Series at 2-2

Fri, 28 Apr 2006 17:07:00 GMT

The Mighty Ducks produced another mighty big win to even the series at two games apiece. In a critical game against their first round opponent, the Calgary Flames, the Ducks grinded out a 3-2 win in overtime. Sean O'Donnell was the unlikely offensive hero, blasting a huge slapshot past a screened Miikka Kiprusoff.

With two goals this season (and only 23 in almost 800 career games), O'Donnell is definitely much better known for his defensive, gritty play. However, the playoffs always produce unlikely heroes.

Up 2-0 on goals by Teemu Selanne and Ryan Getzlaf, the Ducks were put on their heels by two quick goals by Jarome Iginla in the third period. With the game tied after regulation, the stage was set for "Odie," as his teammates call him.

Kiprusoff (27 saves) and Jean-Sebastien Giguere (25 saves) were both solid in this game, but neither were as spectacular as some of the previous contests. Perhaps the best news for the Ducks was the much-improved penalty killing job they did, blanking the Flames on all six attempts.

Another continued surprise was the play of rookie phenom Dion Phaneuf who registered another -2 for the game. He and his defensive partner, Roman Hamrlik are a combined -12 in the first four games of this series.

The critical game 5 continues on Saturday night.

Ducks Roasted by Flames' Power Play

Wed, 26 Apr 2006 15:27:00 GMT

After losing the first game, the Ducks said all the right things... that it was only one game... that they didn't expect to sweep the Flames up in Calgary. They also did the right things... they came back and played a gritty, inspired second game to tie the series... they had tight defense... they scored timely goals. Conventional wisdom would think that Anaheim would come back with a similar effort on Tuesday night at home. Unfortunately, they didn't. Instead, they played even for about half the game, then disappeared for the rest, losing 5-2. The loss puts them down 1-2 in the series against Calgary.

The Flames scored three power play goals for the game, giving them five goals with the man-advantage in the last two games. On paper, the Ducks outshot the Flames for the game, but once again Miikka Kiprusoff displayed why he's one of the best, if not the best, goalie in the league. The Calgary defense also cleared away all rebounds and rarely let the Ducks have a second chance at any loose puck.

Francois Beauchemin, the rookie defenseman acquired in the Fedorov trade, scored two power play goals for the Ducks, but the rest of the team was unable to solve the puzzle of Kiprusoff. Jean-Sebastien Giguere faced 24 shots and only saved 19 of those. After the game, he said that he needed to play better. That may be true, but the same could be said for the whole Ducks team.

Five different players scored for the Flames, and none of them were named Iginla. Some of Calgary's scoring highlights included Chuck Kobasew notching the game-winner, Robyn Regehr getting a goal and an assist, playoff veteran Darren McCarty scoring his second goal of the series, and Florida cast-off Kristian Huselius getting a goal and two assists.

The two teams continue their hard fought series on Thursday in Anaheim.

Niedermayer Helps Ducks Soar

Mon, 24 Apr 2006 16:04:00 GMT

Each game of the playoffs will be a battle. This much appears true. There have been surprises though. Last night's surprise was that the Calgary Flames' Miikka Kiprusoff is human. That's the only way to describe a night where he allowed four goals on 20 shots in a 4-3 loss to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. With the win, the Ducks tied the series 1-1.

Scott Niedermayer elevated his game and contributed offensively as well as defensively. In the first game, he was solid in his own end, but failed to make much of an impression on the scoreboard. In game two, he controlled much of the play when he was on the ice and was particularly brilliant on a shorthanded goal scored in the first period. After an amazing defensive play where he stole the puck, he raced in alone to score on Kiprusoff.

The Ducks also got goals from Chris Kunitz, Joffrey Lupul, and Samuel Pahlsson. They opened the game with inspired play and jumped out to a 3-0 lead. The Flames battled back but were unable to tie the game. Pahlsson's goal became the eventual game-winner when Dion Phaneuf scored a power play goal with less than five minutes to play.

Jarome Iginla and Kristian Huselius also scored for the Flames who seemed to wake-up in the second half of the game. Perhaps the bigger story in Calgary is the play of Roman Hamrlik and Dion Phaneuf who were a combined -7 on the night. For the series, they are a combined -9. Phaneuf looked tentative for the second straight night, but veteran Hamrlik didn't look any better. This was no more apparent than the power play where the Flames did score two goals, but ended up 2-for-13 on the night. However, the Ducks were worse at 0-for-6 with the man-advantage.

The Ducks hope to continue their improved work ethic at the Pond on Tuesday night for game three. It's now a best-of-five series.

Ducks Lose Opener

Sat, 22 Apr 2006 15:50:00 GMT

This wasn't how the Ducks imagined their first game of the playoffs: Jean-Sebastien Giguere a late scratch, their top line neutralized, the star rookies playing like... rookies. Game one went to overtime where Darren McCarty (of three Stanley Cup Rings fame) scored the game-winner 9:45 into the sudden death period.

Ilya Bryzgalov, getting a surprise start after Giguere opted out with a "lower body injury," played very well (as he has all year), stopping 28 of 30 shots. However, the real goalie issue for the ducks was Miikka Kiprusoff who made 33 saves on 34 shots. Kiprusoff was brilliant, and this was no more evident than in the second period when the Flames were outshot 15 to 7.

Jeff Friesen, a deadline acquisition bomb thus far, scored the lone goal for the Ducks. The Flames answered with goals by Tony Amonte and McCarty.

Star rookie, Dion Phaneuf hardly shined in this opener, but neither did any of the other stars like Selanne, Iginla, and Niedermayer. The tight, defensive game still had plenty of offensive rushes, but Scott Nidermayer was unable to take charge as he has so many times in this season.

Game two of the series will be played in Calgary on Sunday.

Kings Win Final Game of Season

Tue, 18 Apr 2006 15:27:00 GMT

It may have seemed like a meaningless game, but the Kings 3-0 shutout against the Sharks had plenty of importance when analyzed closely. Many puzzles were solved in the final games of the season including the following:

Question: How do you get Jeremy Roenick to produce?
Answer: Break his ankle and put him on the ice when you're out of the playoffs. His three points in two wins were what the Kings needed consistently throughout the season.

Question: What can be done to make the special teams click?
Answer: Miss the playoffs. Their dreadful power play and even worse penalty killing were amazing in the final two games. They killed off all ten disadvantages they had, scored two power play goals, and even netted a shorthanded goal. In the game against Calgary, they even killed off a two-man advantage and looked good doing it.

Question: Who's the number one goal?
Answer: Okay... this one wasn't answered. Jason LaBarbera was excellent at the beginning of the season, winning his first five starts with a 1.40 GAA and .947 save percentage. He ended the season with two wins, a 0.50 GAA, one shutout, and a .986 save percentage. Unfortunately, the rest of the season was pretty bad for him. Meanwhile, Mathieu Garon ran hot and cold throughout the season, starting slowly, but winning 31 games and getting honored with the December Defensive Player of the Month Award. However, he ended up with a mediocre 3.22 GAA and very average .894 save percentage. Do the Kings chalk this up to inexperience? Or do you they go out and find a true #1 goalie who's established? Tough call. Look at Christobal Huet right now.

Question: How do you get the Kings to play with passion?
Answer: Send Sean Avery home. Yes, he has skill. Yes, he plays with passion. Yes, he can be a good team player. However, his selfish, me-first, attention-gathering choices and attitude distracted the team... oh, and I guess the idea of playing for Luc Robitaille helped too!

Question: What will happen to Dave Taylor?
Answer: Sorry... this one is hard to answer too. However, the final two games and many of the games before show that he did assemble a team that can compete. Teams don't make it to first in a division by mid-year through flukes. They get there through talent and hard work. The fact that the Kings collapsed might have to do with chemistry or coaching or any of a dozen other factors. The final two games weren't meaningless when you think about how damaging it would have been to lose six straight games to end the season instead of winning two straight. It's not Taylor's fault the Kings collapsed at the end of the season for two years. At the same time, it's not 100% Andy Murray's fault either. In the end, it's a combination of the players, the injuries, and the motivational techniques used by Murray. Most of Dave Taylor's transactions weren't that bad. No homeruns, but nothing that shows he's incompetent... no Mel Bridgeman-esque things going on. There was no way that Taylor could have predicted that Anson Carter and Mark Parrish would be duds at the trade deadline. I could go on, but that'll be saved for another time.

Question: What's a good way to honor Luc Robitaille if you're out of the playoffs?
Answer: Win two games to end the season and play with the intensity that he brought to the game.

Note: Our next Podcast focuses on the end of the season, so we're delaying it a little more. Thanks for you patience!

Ducks Recover a Little Steam

Tue, 18 Apr 2006 01:15:00 GMT

The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim recovered a little bit of their momentum by closing out the regular season with a hard fought 4-3 win over the Calgary Flames... their first round opponents in the playoffs. This was the Duck's first win after a three-game losing streak. Anaheim's effective blend of youth and experience provided the scoring once again, and Jean-Sebastien Giguere was solid in net, stopping 29-of-32 shots.

The Ducks got multi-point games from Chris Kunitz (1 goal and 2 assists), Ryan Getzlaf (3 assists), and Andy McDonald (1 goal and 1 assist). Corey Perry and Teemu Selanne also scored goals for the Ducks. Selanne's goal was his 40th of the season. Quite a rebound from his not-so-sweet 16 he scored last NHL season in Colorado.

The penalty-filled game was a pre-cursor to the opening round of the playoffs that will begin in Calgary. In all, there were a combined 22 man-advantages in the game. The Flames, so hot in the stretch run, have now lost two straight games. Although both games were meaningless in the standings, they probably didn't want to enter the "real season" with a losing streak.

Kings Honor Luc with a Win

Sun, 16 Apr 2006 20:59:00 GMT

This isn't necessarily the way the Kings wanted Luc Robitaille's Los Angeles career to end - out of the playoffs and playing only for pride - but the 2-1 win over the Flames wasn't without some positives. The Kings continued to dominate the shootout, Jason LaBarbera proved that he can make some big saves, Los Angeles didn't fold after San Jose tied the score, and the Kings played some inspired hocky.

Now 6 and 1 in the sudden death shootout, Los Angeles scored the only goal of the shootout when Pavol Demitra used a slick shoulder fake to backhand the puck over Miikka Kiprusoff's outstretched leg.

The Flames, having already wrapped up a playoff position, were no push-overs. They came at the Kings with intensity and several rushes. LaBarbera was up to the task and made 42 saves on 43 shots... including all three in the shootout to preserve the victory.

The Kings only goal in regulation was by Pavol Demitra, taking advantage of a great pass from Jeremy Roenick as Demitra jumped out of the penalty box.

Although Luc didn't score, the crowd was left with a wonderful memory of the game and his words at the end as he addressed the crowd.

Kings Officially Eliminated

Sat, 15 Apr 2006 01:27:00 GMT

Two lackluster efforts amounted to an ending of the Kings' playoff hopes. The Ducks' poor effort in a 2-1 loss against the Oilers mathematically eliminated Los Angeles from the playoffs for the third straight season. Even if the Ducks had managed a win, the Kings also played poorly in a 3-0 loss to the Phoenix Coyotes.

The penalty-filled game, featured three instances of 5-on-3 power plays in the first period alone. Special teams was at the heart of the Kings' problems once again. Two power play goals and a shorthanded goal by the Coyotes in the second period were too much for the Kings to overcome.

Saturday's game against the Flames will be the final home game for Luc Robitaille who will be honored prior to the dropping of the puck. Hopefully the Kings can dig deep and play for pride, Luc, and their jobs.

The Ducks, already assured of a playoff spot, have now dropped two straight games. Their recent losses to the Flames and Oilers have revealed a few glaring weaknesses. Chief among them is their inconsistent effort... a problem they had during the first half of the season. They have shown time and time again that they can match up with any team when they are skating and working hard. However, they exhibited little of that against Calgary and Edmonton.

With the loss, they drop to sixth in the Western Conference. They hope to rebound on Saturday against the extremely hot San Jose Sharks.

Slim Hope Remains

Thu, 13 Apr 2006 15:00:00 GMT

The Vancouver Canucks lost to the San Jose Sharks last night in overtime 5-4. What does this mean? Mathematically, it means there's the slightest glimmer of hope that the Kings could make it into the playoffs. Of course, world peace may be more attainable. The Oilers and Canucks are what stand in the way of the Kings making the playoffs.

The San Jose win also clinched a playoff spot for the Sharks... a feat that would have seemed nothing short of a miracle back in January. They join the Stars and Ducks as Pacific Division representatives in the playoffs. San Jose and Anaheim have had similar up and down seasons that looked bleak in the first half of the year. However, since January, the Sharks and Ducks have turned their seasons around.

The Ducks face off against the Oilers and the Kings take on the Coyotes tonight. If the Oilers manage to even tie the Ducks, the Kings' season is over. Their game agains the Coyotes will be nothing more than bragging rights of who's the best of the worst.

As is common, the Kings will be without at least one key player... Aaron Miller underwent successful hip surgery and will likely miss the match.

Meanwhile, the Ducks, who have clinched a playoff spot, hope to rebound after a disappointing shutout loss to the Calgary Flames.

Luc Robitaille Announces His Retirement

Wed, 12 Apr 2006 15:12:00 GMT

What can you say when the highest-scoring left wing in NHL history decides it's time to hang-up the skates? Luc Robitaille announced yesterday that he will retire after the end of this season. Although fans and friends knew this day would come, the announcement leaves a huge void in the world of active NHL players. Although he wasn't as effective on the ice this year, the 40-year-old veteran still had a bigger heart than most of the other players in the league.

Robitaille was always a class act and never gave up. A ninth-round draft pick of the Kings in 1984, he overcame language barriers and criticism of his skating to become the Rookie of the Year, a Stanley Cup Winner, and the record holder for most goals in a Kings' uniform. Those are just some of the awards and decorations that he gathered throughout his career. It doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of the number of first and second-team all-star selections he received.

However, his career can't be summed up merely by his awards and statistics. Robitaille donated his time, energy, and money to promote hockey in Southern California and help families in need. His work with charities includes the Ronald McDonald House, Music Cares, the Starlight Foundation, benefit hockey games for AIDS and Cancer research, and Shelter for Serenity (a foundation that he and his wife, Stacia, created to help Hurricane Katrina victims rebuild their lives).

Although Luc played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, the New York Rangers, and the Detroit Red Wings, his heart was, and always will be, in Los Angeles. He even brought the Stanley Cup to Los Angeles after winning it with the Wings in 2002. A classy move by such a classy guy.

His nickname was "Lucky," and that's exactly how Kings' fans felt with him playing in Los Angeles. Thanks for the memories, Luc!

One of my favorite interviews with him is a Celeb Q&A by ChannelOne.com.

Flames Snuff Out Hot Ducks

Wed, 12 Apr 2006 14:56:00 GMT

The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim have been one of the hottest teams in the NHL... but so have the Calgary Flames. This round of the battle went to the Flames, 3-0. Calgary's win can be summed up in two words, "Miikka Kiprusoff." In a few more weeks, his play may be summed up as "Vezina Trophy." Kiprusoff blanked the Ducks even though the Flames were outshot 32-25. He made several spectacular saves, including a fast a furious flurry during the second period when the Ducks had 13 shots on goal.

Chris Simon netted the game winner in the second period and the Flames also got goals from Daymond Langkow and Kristian Huselius (his 20th this season... not bad for the Florida Panthers' cast-off).

The loss meant that the Ducks were unable to gain any ground on the Nashville Predators for fourth place in the Western Conference. With three games remaining, they need to win at least two of those games and hope that Nashville loses all three.

In other news, the Los Angeles Kings' very slim playoff hopes stayed alive as the Edmonton Oilers were blanked by the Detroit Red Wings 2-0. The Kings' only hope will be if they win all three remaining games and both Edmonton and Vancouver lose all their remaining matches. The Kings would also have to make up a little ground in terms of goals scored so that they would get the nod if the teams all have equal points. In other words... the hopes are slim.

Ducks Soar Into the Playoffs

Tue, 11 Apr 2006 15:53:00 GMT

We're back from Spring Break! With the majority of my workshops, conferences, and vacation behind me, it's time to make this blog regular for the playoffs and rev up the Podcast!

The Ducks jumped out to a 4-0 lead against the Canucks before Vancouver answered with two goals to end it 4-2. This was the Ducks' fifth win in the last six games and 14th in the last 18. They continue to dominate opponents on the scoreboard. The win clinches a spot in the playoffs for the Mighty Ducks!

The interesting thing about this game was the fact that the Canucks outshot the Ducks 41 to 18 and won almost 2/3 of the faceoffs. By those stats alone, Vancouver should have walked all over the Ducks. However, time and time again, Anaheim exploited Vancouver's #1 weakness... their goalie. Alex Auld allowed three goals on seven shots in the first period and then one more on only three shots in the second. He finally "shut the door" on the Ducks in the third, stopping all eight shots he faced. In all honesty, he had no chance on two of the goals, but could have been sharper in net on the other two. Meanwhile, Giguere continued his dominant form and stopped 39-of-41 shots for the game.

The Ducks continued to get a good balance of scoring. Teemu Selanne and Scott Niedermayer had a goal and an assist, and Andy McDonald had two assists to go with his game-winning goal. Rob Niedermayer added the other goal for the Ducks.

Anaheim takes on Calgary tonight. Now the Ducks can focus on wrapping up fourth place in the Western Conference by surpassing Nashville in their final games. The Predators were dealt a serious blow to their playoff hopes when it was announced that #1 goalie Tomas Vokoun will miss the playoffs due to blood clots.

Lucky Number Seven Eludes Ducks

Wed, 29 Mar 2006 21:18:00 GMT

The Ducks seemed untouchable. Peaking at the right time of the season, Anaheim had won six straight games. Coming from behind wasn't a big deal. That is, until last night. Facing a resilient Colorado team that wanted revenge for a recent 5-4 loss to the Ducks, Anaheim succumbed to the timely scoring of Andrew Brunette. The 4-3 loss is the first loss for the Ducks since January 15th. It's only their second loss in the last 11 games.

Looking like they were going to come back again, the Ducks tied the game twice on third period goals by Teemu Selanne and Ryan Getzlaf. However, Brunette came right back each time to score timely goals and bury the Ducks. Jean-Sebastien Giguere finished the night with 35 saves on 39 shots. Anaheim also got a goal from Sean O'Donnell.

The Ducks remain tied with Calgary for fifth place in the Western Conference. They hope to rebound tonight against the Stars... in Dallas.

The Kings take on the Flames tonight in Calgary.

Kings Embarrassed Again

Tue, 28 Mar 2006 20:55:00 GMT

Alex Burrows scored a hat trick to lead the Canucks in a romp over the Kings.

Who?

Exactly.

He just doubled his goal output for the 2005-2006 season.

The Kings hope to rebound against Calgary on Wednesday night.

Taylor's Move Lights a Torchetti Under the Kings

Sun, 26 Mar 2006 15:54:00 GMT

The John Torchetti Era has begun! In their first game under their new interim head coach, the Kings impressed the guy behind the bench and all the fans in the stands. Playing with much more energy and desperation than LA Fans have seen in the past 20 games or so, the Kings dominated the majority of the game, out-shooting the Predators 48-19 and winning 6-4. They also won 37-of-65 face-offs. Thomas Vokoun, pulled in the Predator's previous game against the Ducks, looked average as the Kings peppered him with 37 shots in the final two periods.

This isn't to say that the Kings played perfectly. The game was also highlighted by four total breakdowns of defensive coverage that led to all four goals by Nashville. Mathieu Garon was far from spectacular, saving 15-of-19 shots, but he made some big ones in the third period as the Predators began to play harder with five minutes to go.

Alexander Frolov was the hero of the game, coming back after missing the last ten games, and showed his appreciation of good health by netting two goals and an assist. He scored the game-tying goal on a quick wrist-shot from the top of the right circle. With three bodies screening him, Vokoun didn't see the shot that Frolov put perfectly over his right shoulder. The game-winning goal came on an unbelievable toe-drag move that faked out the Predator's defenseman. After momentarily losing the puck, Frolov got enough control of it to poke it past Vokoun for his second goal in a little over a minute.

Eric Belanger, Mark Parrish, and Dustin Brown added goals on the power play and Sean Avery rounded out the scoring with an unassisted goal in the third period. Avery's goal marked the end of a flurry of three goals in less than two minutes for the Kings. Lubomir Visnovsky enjoyed a good night as well, getting three assists, and Craig Conroy showed his appreciation of having one of his linemates back by getting two assists and a +2 rating.

Although the Kings remain out of the playoff picture at the moment, they pull within one point of both Vancouver and Edmonton for seventh in the Western Conference. They also gain a point on San Jose.

The Ducks Look Like "Predators" in Big Win Against Nashville

Sat, 25 Mar 2006 16:16:00 GMT

Quick quiz here: Which NHL team has five straight wins, is 9-2-1 since the Olympic Break, and recently beat Dallas and Nashville in this streak. Think that team is Detroit or Ottawa? Well, both of them have done really well since the break (the Red Wings are also 9-2-1 and the Senators are 11-1-1), but the team we're talking about is the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. Their 6-3 win against the Predators almost looked too easy as they dominated the second period and received some timely saves by Jean-Sebastien Giguere.

They spotted Nashville a goal in the first period, then roared to life at the end of the first period and through the second, scoring five straight goals. The Ducks got scoring from many places, and several of players had multi-point nights, including: Teemu Selanne who registered two goals and two assists, Corey Perry and Chris Kunitz who each had a goal and an assist, Andy McDonald who had two goals and an assist, and Ryan Getzlaf who had four assists. As with many of their recent games, the kids energized the team, Teemu was dependable at both ends of the ice, and Giguere made the big saves at the right times. He made 36 saves on 39 shots and was especially strong in the first and third periods where the Predators out-shot the Ducks 32-17.

The win puts Anaheim in fifth place in the Western Conference. They're not in the clear yet, but they're definitely peaking at the right moment. They look to continue their streak on the road tonight against Phoenix (winners of three straight and four of the last five games).

Meanwhile, the Kings hope to impress new coach John Torchetti in their game tonight against the Predators. They will get back Alexander Frolov and definitely have a lot to prove because they want to erase the memory of losing 11 straight games at the end of the 2003-2004.

Ducks Come Back to Bury Avalanche

Thu, 23 Mar 2006 16:14:00 GMT

With so much parity in the league, you should never underestimate any team in the NHL, especially one that's hungry for a playoff spot. The Avalanche did just that against the Mighty Ducks. Up 3-0 and 4-1, Colorado stopped playing hard, and the Ducks came back with the next four goals to beat them 5-4. As bad as the Ducks looked in the first period, going down 3-1, they looked unstoppable in the third, outshooting Colorado 10-5 and tying it up on a goal by Andy McDonald. They peppered Petr Budaj with 41 shots and made him look like a rookie.

Jonathon Hedstrom and Ilya Bryzgalov were the big heroes tonight. Hedstrom scored on a penalty shot in overtime to win the game, but Bryzgalov came in to relieve Giguere and provided strong goaltending, making 18 saves on 19 shots. Ryan Getzlaf and Scott Niedermayer (2 goals) also scored for the Ducks who won their fourth straight game.

The win gives the Ducks 82 points, good for sixth in the conference, one point behind Colorado. The Kings drop to a tie with Edmonton for eight place in the conference. San Jose remains one point behind them. The Sharks, like the Ducks, have been hitting a hot streak at the right moment. Meanwhile, the Kings, Oilers, and Canucks are all playing inconsistently down the stretch.

Kings Make Big Moves

Wed, 22 Mar 2006 15:18:00 GMT

When is a winning record not good enough? Injuries, struggles, ineffective penalty killing, and a powerless power play all played a part in the dismissal of Andy Murray and John Van Boxmeer. After seven years as the Kings' head coach, Andy Murray leaves at a critical time. General Manager Dave Taylor made the bold move with about a month left in the regular season. The struggling Kings (37-28-5) have been streaky all season, but their current losing binge has them on the verge of missing the playoffs. During their current losing streak, the Kings have lacked effort and the hunger befitting a team thick in the playoff race. Unable to just sit and watch this happen, Taylor announced his decision with just twelve games... plenty of time to secure a playoff spot or play themselves out of one.

Murray was the winningest coach in Kings' history. He is also the only Canadian coach to win two World Championship titles. He was well-known for his work ethic and preparation. In the past few years, he has been highly praised for holding together a team riddled with injuries. However, in the end, it all boiled down to the fact that he could not get the most out of his team when they were healthy, and the players were not responding to his coaching style anymore.

Mark Hardy and Ray Bennett retained their assistant coaching duties, and the Kings hired John Torchetti as their interim coach. Torchetti was the former interim head coach from the Florida Panthers. A former minor league player, Torchetti has also been an assistant coach with the Panthers and Lightning and head coach of several minor league teams (including the Fort Wayne Komets and three versions of the San Antonio squads - the Iguanas, Dragons, and the Rampage). While coach of the San Antonio Iguanas of the CHL, Torchetti led his team to the finals two years in a row (losing both times). He has been replaced mid-year twice in his career and been a mid-year replacement on five other occasions. If nothing else, he's stepping into a familiar situation.

Will he be able to motivate the Kings and get the goalies to play consistently? Time, and the next twelve games, will tell.

Ducks Stun Stars and Move into Second

Tue, 21 Mar 2006 16:27:00 GMT

The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim are streaking at just the right moment. With their third win in a row, Anaheim moves past Los Angeles for second in the Pacific Division and sixth overall in the Western Conference. In last night's game against the Dallas Stars, the Ducks could only muster 18 shots on goal, but the two goals they got past Marty Turco were enough to pull-out a victory. The winning goal was scored with only 3:15 left in the game as a result of a superb individual effort and quick shot by Sammy Pahlsson. Earlier in the period, Andy McDonald scored his 25th of the year to tie the game at one apiece.

Jean-Sebastien Giguere, playing with more confidence because he wasn't dealt at the trade deadline, made 24 saves on 25 shots and looked strong in net. This was especially true in the scoreless first period where Dallas outshot Anaheim eight to three.

Coupled with the Kings 5-0 loss to the Colorado Avalanche (their fourth loss in the last five games), Anaheim moved in front of Los Angeles at a critical time of the season. Currently, a mere six points separate fifth through tenth place in the Western Conference.

The Kings' lackluster effort came on a night they were honoring Adam Deadmarsh, a player whose career was synonymous with a blue-collar work ethic. Unfortunately, the Kings were unable to channel any of his old energy as they failed to score on six power plays and allowed Colorado to get quality chances left and right. With a win, the Kings could have moved past the Avalanche in the Western Conference, but they now find themselves in eighth place, looking further upward as they desperately try to salvage their up-and-down season.

The Post-Trade Deadline Show 2006

technologyted@mac.com — Mon, 20 Mar 2006 00:34:00 GMT

Through rain, sleet, snow, Educational Technology conferences, and back troubles, we finally got out our Post-Trade Deadline Podcast! In this enhanced Podcast, we answer a voicemail, talk about the moves by the Ducks and Kings, and give our take on the moves by some of the other teams in the NHL.

How did the elite teams do this trade deadline? Who were the big winners on March 9th? Find out here!

Don't forget to call us with questions or comments at 206-337-1885.

Kings Aren't Singing the Blues

Sun, 19 Mar 2006 03:00:00 GMT

The Kings were able to break out of their brief three-game losing streak by beating the Blues 3-1 in Los Angeles. After losing to San Jose, Phoenix, and Dallas, the Kings looked like they were about to embark on another extended losing streak.

Things didn't look much better after they went down 1-0 against the Blues off a power play goal by Mike Glumac in the 2nd period. They were outshot 17-12 in that period. However, the Kings were able to muster a comeback by scoring three straight goals in the third period. They came out firing in the third and outshot the Blues 18-3 for the final 20 minutes.

Mike Cammelleri scored the game-winner on the power play, his 14th power play goal and 4th game winner. Sean Avery had a goal and an assist, Brent Sopel got his first point in a Kings' uniform, and Eric Belanger added an insurance goal. Sopel was especially impressive, getting an assist on Avery's goal, posting a +2 rating, and playing a team high 23 minutes and 27 seconds. He was a steadying influence on the blueline and jumped up into the play several times in the third period, ending up with four shots on goal for the night.

The Kings were again playing without Pavol Demitra (concussion) and Alexander Frolov (separated shoulder). However, they did get a boost with Craig Conroy back in the line-up.

They continue their homestand against the Colorado Avalanche on Monday night. The Avalanche are winners of three of their last four games. Los Angeles is currently tied for sixth in the Western Conference, one point behind Colorado.

Delays and More Delays

Tue, 14 Mar 2006 03:06:00 GMT

Hey folks,

A very busy conference schedule with poor internet connections kept me from doing my daily blog... unfortunately, I have three more big conferences this month for my Educational Technology work. This means that, most likely, I won't have a regular blog for most of March. It's funny, we actually wrote up three blog entries that we couldn't post because of the poor connections... then you wait a few days and it just seems so fruitless because they're late!

On other news, a back injury has hampered my production of this week's Podcast. Afterall, you can't really edit if you can't sit still for more than 10 minutes at a time. SO, I'll be getting the Podcast up as soon as I'm able. It's a good one, though! It's our Trade Deadline Wrap-Up Show.

Thanks for your patience and continued support!

Feature on Pre-Trade Deadline Needs and the Post-Olympic NHL Action

Tue, 7 Mar 2006 04:47:00 GMT

NHL hockey's back and so are we! In this episode, Genevieve and Zoe do our usual Kings and Ducks Reports. We also give you some of the big news in ice hockey this week including information on Mario Lemieux's operation, Erik Cole's Injury, and Pat LaFontaine's honoring (hope that's a real word). We also have a special feature on the the playoff bound teams (and some teams that are close), and what they might be shopping for with the trade deadline quickly approaching. We're summoning our inner Nostradamus to make a few predictions based on teams' needs.

Remember, this is an enhanced Podcast with images, URL links, and bookmarks. It's viewable in iTunes (free for any Windows or Mac) or any player that supports the AAC file format (also known as .m4a and mp4). Devices like the iPod and PSP also support the AAC format. We use this because it's dynamic!

You can leave comments here on our Libsyn site, or you can call us at 206-337-1885. Thanks for tuning in and have a great week of hockey!

Kings 3, Zherdev 2

Sun, 5 Mar 2006 05:01:00 GMT

Speaking of deja vu... The Kings must have felt a little of it after getting tied by an opponent 2-2, sticking to their game plan, and coming up big with the the game-winner in the third period. It was a similar situation to their last game but a different opponent. This time it was the Columbus Blue Jackets who were victimized by the Kings' newfound effort and determination.

The Kings opened up the scoring with two goals by Sean Avery (one of them shorthanded), but Columbus tied it up on two goals by Nikolai Zherdev in the third period. Mike Cammalleri, one of the scorers in the win over the Wild netted the game-winner with 5:55 left to play. Although not as spectacular as his sliding-on-his-knees goal against the Wild, this powerplay goal made him the hero against the Blue Jackets.

For the second straight game, the Kings had a distinct advantage on face-offs. In this game, they dominated the face-off circle, winning 44 out of 62 face-offs. Also, for the second straight game, the Kings were able to kill off all their penalties. Although they weren't as disciplined as they were against the Wild (only two penalties), the six penalties taken were spread out and never put the Kings in too bad of a position. For the most part, whenever the Blue Jackets did get a scoring chance, Mathieu Garon was there to thwart them. He ended up with 24 saves on 26 shots.

The win (their fourth straight) puts them six points behind the Pacific Division-leading Dallas Stars and six above the Mighty Ducks (ninth in the Western Conference). As the race for the playoffs heats up, the Kings have picked a perfect time to begin pulling out of their downward spiral. The Kings begin a pivotal four-game road trip on Tuesday against the Minnesota Wild.

Ducks Answer the Call of the Wild

Sun, 5 Mar 2006 01:47:00 GMT

It's a known recipe for success: Lose a tough game where you didn't play your best, take on a tired team that played the day before, and prove that you're not as bad as you were the other game. It worked for the Ducks last night as they beat the Minnesota Wild 4-2. It must have felt like deja vu for the Wild who came back to tie the game after being down 1-0 and 2-1. However, newly reinstated defenseman, Sandis Ozolnish reminded everyone how valuable he is by scoring the winner in the third period. Teemu Selanne added an empty-net goal to round out the scoring. The Wild almost went through the exact same situation last night against the Kings.

It was a nice win for the Ducks who were defeated by the Detroit Red Wings in their last game. The Ducks also had a shorthanded goal by Sammy Pahlsson and a power play tally by Corey Perry. Ducks' goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere had a very good game, making 36 saves on 38 shots. He made some great saves in the first period when Minnesota out-shot the Ducks 15-9. The Wild ended up out-shooting the Ducks 38-32 for the game.

The win brought the Ducks back within four points of the Kings who are seventh in the Western Conference. They take on the Columbus Blue Jackets Sunday afternoon... another team that will have played the Kings the day before.

Kings 3, Gaborik 2

Fri, 3 Mar 2006 15:34:00 GMT

The visiting Minnesota Wild came into Los Angeles looking for blood. At the beginning of the night, they were a mere five points out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, and they were taking on the Kings, a team playing without two of their top scorers (Demitra and Frolov). Instead, it was the Kings who got the best of the Wild, winning 3-2 in a tight match. It was a tough battle against one of the best defensive (and boring) teams in the Western Conference.

Mike Cammalleri got the scoring started on the power play by putting in a beautiful shot while sliding on his knees. Although he was hooked on the play, Cammalleri was able to have the presence of mind to keep control of the puck and put it over a surprised Manny Fernandez. The Minnesota goalie ended the night with 35 saves on 38 shots. Mathieu Garon was equally spectacular, making 29-of-31 saves. It was due to Garon's stellar play that the Kings stayed in the game during the third period, despite being out-shot by the Wild 13-7.

Luc Robitaille also scored a goal in the second period off of a great no-look pass by Craig Conroy (two assists on the night). Unfortunately, the Kings' 1-0 and 2-1 leads didn't last. Marian Gaborik scored a pair of goals to tie the game with less than five minutes to play in the third period. However, as with their two games prior to the Olympic Break, the Kings found a way to win. This time it was Lubomir Visnovky, the leading point-scorer among NHL defenseman, who netted the game winner. With less than three minutes to play, Eric Belanger won a key faceoff, and Tom Kostopoulos got the puck over to Visnovsky who blasted in a slap shot from the right point.

Also of note was the highly disciplined play of the Kings. They took no penalties in the first and third period, and only had four minutes total for the game. They also came up big in the second period by killing off a brief two-man advantage. This was the first game that the Kings didn't allow a power play goal in the last twelve contests. If the Kings hope to continue their momentum, and extend their three-game winning streak, they need to prove that playing with discipline isn't a fluke. The Dallas Stars, losers of three straight, are only eight points ahead of the Kings. Los Angeles continues this homestand against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday.

Ducks Fail to Take Flight Against Tired Wings

Thu, 2 Mar 2006 15:56:00 GMT

The Ducks, hoping to take advantage of a tired team that played the night before, were surprised by the focus and intensity of the Red Wings and lost 2-0. Detroit's five Swedish gold medalists, Henrik Zetterberg, Tomas Holmstrom, Nicklas Lidstrom, Niklas Kronval, and Mikael Samuelsson completed a 30-hour flight to help lead the club to a victory over Anaheim. In fact, Holmstrom and Zetterberg scored the two lone goals 46 seconds apart during the first period. That was all Chris Osgood needed as he stopped all 24 shots he faced.

The Ducks lacked focus and effort in the first period and didn't challenge for the majority of the game. Jean-Sebastien Giguere had a solid effort, making 31 saves on 33 shots, but it wasn't enough because the players in front of him were unable to generate any real scoring opportunities.

The good news for Ducks' fans was the surprise return of Scott Niedermayer who had arthroscopic knee surgery a little over two weeks ago (16 days). He recovered quickly and said that he felt fine. Sandis Ozolnish also returned to action after sitting out 20 games in a substance abuse program.

In the end, the return of those two gifted defensemen wasn't enough to boost the Ducks. They were the ones who looked like they had played the night before or flown for 30 hours prior to the game. Holmstrom commented that this was a "three Red Bull night." Perhaps the Ducks should try that as their next pre-game meal.

The Kings return to action tonight against Minnesota. After snapping a seven-game losing streak with two straight wins before the Olympic Break, the Kings hope to continue their momentum. If they do, it will be without without two of their top players, Pavol Demitra and Alexander Frolov. Demitra took a puck to the face during the Olympic Games and suffered a broken nose and bleeding behind an eye. Frolov had a partially separated shoulder and will likely miss two weeks of action.

Ducks Return to NHL Action Against Wings

Thu, 2 Mar 2006 03:11:00 GMT

Ahhhh... life after the Olympics. For many, the Olympic Games were the eye of the storm... a slight bit of calm before the frantic finale to the regular season in the NHL. The Mighty Ducks return to action tonight against the Detroit Red Wings. The Ducks will be facing a Detroit team full of Olympic medalists who missed their 5-1 loss to San Jose last night. Detroit will be looking to prove that the previous night's loss was a fluke due to their five missing players.

The Ducks hope to continue the momentum they had prior to the break. They're led by the amazing Teemu Selanne who had a terrific tournament in Torino while helping Finland win the silver medal. He was playing great before the break and he was one of the most dominant players in the Olympic Games. Ducks and Finnish fans should all be proud of Teemu!

The Ducks should also be getting back Sandis Ozolnish who has been re-instated after missing the season so far while in substance abuse rehab. His steady defensive play and accurate puck movement will be welcome in the absence of a hugely important part of blueline... they may be without team captain Scott Niedermayer who had surgery during the Olympic break on his injured knee.

At 27-19-11, Anaheim is in third place in the Pacific Division and ninth place in the Western Conference (just three points behind Edmonton for the final spot in the playoffs). If they want to make a movie, now is the right time because they only have 25 games remaining.

The Olympics Wrap-Up Show

technologyted@mac.com — Wed, 1 Mar 2006 03:07:00 GMT

This episode features a summary of the women's and men's Olympic hockey tournaments. We give our thoughts on what worked and didn't for the different teams in this year's Winter Games. In addition to sounding off on some of the big disappointments of the tournament, we also honor the winners and overachievers... like the Canadian, Swedish, and U.S. Women, and the Swedish, Finnish, and Czech Men... and those are just the winners! We also admired the play of the Swiss and Slovakian Men's teams.

Although the Canadian and U.S. men's teams were very disappointing in the Torino Games, we give our thoughts on why the NHL should continue their involvement in the Winter Olympics.

Finally, we also honor a few of the notable speedskaters who won medals in the Olympics. Yes, it's not ice hockey, but it's on ice, so it's good enough for us. Besides, Apolo Anton Ohno, Joey Cheek, and Cindy Klassen are just so darn likeable that we need to mention them!

Next week marks the return of our regular NHL-focused Podcast, and we will feature our predictions and advice for the remaining quarter of the season.

Please call us with questions or comments at 206-337-1885. Have a great week of hockey!

Break Time is Over... Back to Business!

technologyted@mac.com — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 02:44:00 GMT

The Olympics are over. It was a great tournment for some... not so good for others. For us, we got a small break because we found it too hard with the odd times of the live games to continue the daily blog or Podcast. Due to the time difference and compressed, frenetic schedule, we would have been reporting on games that were two days old at times... so, as entertaining as some of the hockey was in the Olympics, it's good to have the NHL back in business again.

Look out for our Post-Olympic Wrap-up Podcast in the next few days that will summarize the medals for all things hockey and skating in the Torino Games. We will also take a moment to feature some thoughts on the injuries that happened during the Winter Games and wonder aloud about NHL involvement in the Olympics after 2010. Will there be NHL players present after Vancouver... hard to tell, but we'll talk a little about it.

We're also preparing for our Guide to the Stretch Drive Podcast coming out in two weeks. Zoe, Genevieve, and I will be talking about the teams that we think are playoff bound or on the cusp, trade rumors, and the next steps for the teams vying for the first pick in the NHL Entry Draft.

So stay tuned... our blog will be coming out almost everyday again and the Podcast is returning to its weekly schedule! In the meantime, you can still contact us with questions or comments through our email at technologyted@mac.com or via phone at 206-337-1885.

Olympics, the NHL Break, and Gambling, Oh My!

technologyted@mac.com — Wed, 15 Feb 2006 03:36:00 GMT

This enhanced Podcast features a look at the U.S. and Canadian Women's Olympic teams. We also bring in the Good, the Sad, and the Ugly as we close out the NHL action prior to the Olympic break. Hear why the New York Rangers are our pick for the Good Team of the week. We also report on the honoring of Jim Fox and Luc Robitaille in Genevieve's Kings Report. Zoe also talks over some Ducks' information in her Mighty Ducks' Report. We also pay tribute to the Chad Hedrick and Joey Cheek, two U.S. speedskating champions!

Don't forget, our phone number has changed to 206-337-1885!

Kings' Four Goals Have Dallas Seeing Stars

technologyted@mac.com — Mon, 13 Feb 2006 17:27:00 GMT

For the second straight game, the Kings held a pre-game ceremony to honor a player; and for the second straight game, the Kings pulled out a gutsy, exciting win. This time it was Luc Robitaille who was honored and the Pacific Division-leading Dallas Stars who were defeated. Robitaille, who recently surpassed the legendary Marcel Dionne for the most career goals in a Kings' uniform, was honored in an emotional ceremony prior to the game. Then he went out and recorded a goal and an assist to help Los Angeles defeat Dallas 6-5.

Energized by the pre-game ceremony, the Kings played a solid first period and jumped out to a 2-1 lead off of goals by Pavol Demitra and Jeremy Roenick. However, as good as they looked in the first period, they seemed hesitant in the second. With several good bounces going their way, and a killer instinct to bury the chances they got, Dallas scored four straight goals to take a commanding 5-2 lead going into the third period.

Knowing that this would be their final period prior to the break for the Olympic Games, the Kings rallied for four straight goals of their own as they out-shot the Stars 16-6 in the final period and shut them down on both their powerplays. Los Angeles scored three goals to tie the game within the first three minutes of the period (they actually scored the three in 2:12). Then, with less than 7 minutes left in the game, Derek Armstrong scored a powerplay goal to win the game. The Kings were 2-for-10 with the man-advantage, and they only allowed one powerplay goal on five tries by the Stars.

During the Kings' slide, they weren't getting consistent scoring from their big line or key players. As with the Chicago game, the Kings' stars delivered. Demitra had a powerplay goal to go along with four assists, Lubomir Visnovsky recorded a goal and two assists, and Alexander Frolov added an assist. Now the Kings can go into the Olympic break with their heads held high after winning two straight games. They remain four points ahead of the Ducks and are only two behind Vancouver for fifth in the Western Conference.

Special Note: Our Podcast will be out a day later so that we can report on all the final NHL action prior to the Olympic break. Thanks for your patience. Don't forget, our phone number has changed. We can be reached at 206-337-1885.

Ducks Fly into the Olympic Break

technologyted@mac.com — Mon, 13 Feb 2006 16:53:00 GMT

The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim go into the Olympic break mighty pleased with themselves. They have been on a tear of late, going 9-3-4 since January 9th. Their 4-1 win over the Blackhawks was another example of their recent disciplined, patient style. They've been utilizing their speed and work ethic to wear down opponents.

Going into the third period, the Ducks and Hawks had played even at 1-1. The Ducks had outshot the Hawks 12-7 in the opening twenty, but Adam Munro, Chicago's third string goalie was sharp in the first. Anaheim lost some focus in the second period, getting out-played and outshot 11-7. However, the Ducks were able to jump on the tired Blackhawks right away in the third. Dustin Penner scored the game-winner a mere 17 seconds into the third period and Corey Perry scored about three minutes later. Joffrey Lupul scored two goals to round out the scoring. Jean-Sebastien Giguere looked solid in goal, rebounding from his less-than-convincing 3-1 loss to Calgary on Wednesday night.

Andy McDonald had an assist on Lupul's first goal, extending his scoring streak to 11 games. Prior to the game, the Anaheim organization honored Teemu Selanne for his recent entrance into the 1,000-point Club.

Kings End Losing Streak

technologyted@mac.com — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 18:58:00 GMT

Los Angeles hockey fans all breathed a collective sigh of relief as the Kings snapped a seven-game losing streak in an ugly overtime win over the Chicago Blackhawks 5-4. Joe Corvo scored an overtime powerplay goal 40 seconds into the extra period to pull out the win for Los Angeles. It was an up-and-down game that saw the Kings lose leads of 1-0, 3-1, and 4-2 before winning it. In the end, though, it won't be a question of how they won, just how many.

The Kings had a few defensive breakdowns, but for the most part, they out-played the Blackhawks and looked good. However, the main weak point was between the pipes. Jason LaBarbera only made 14 saves on 18 shots, looked bad on all four goals, and was pulled with ten minutes to go. Mathieu Garon saved the only three shots he faced to get the win for the Kings.

The Kings scored more than four goals for the first time since January 19th. They got a goal and an assist from Corvo, Pavol Demitra, Tom Kostopoulos, and Craig Conroy. Los Angeles also got a goal from Eric Belanger (his third in as many games) and two assists from Lubomir Visnovsky. Chicago battled back with goals from Brent Seabrook, Rene Bourque, Tyler Arnason, and Martin Lapointe.

Other than the win, the best news for the Kings was the offensive involvement of Demitra, Conroy, and Visnovsky. If the Kings are to hold onto a playoff spot in the tight Western Conference, they'll need offense from their stars and more dependable goaltending. They get one more chance to test out their abilities before the Olympic break today against the Pacific Division-leading Dallas Stars.

The Kings held a ten-minute pre-game ceremony to honor their TV color commentator, Jim Fox, for his 25 years with the organization. Among the gifts given was a framed #25 jersey for his years with the LA Kings. The jersey was presented by Belanger and Luc Robitaille. Before today's game, the team will honor Luc Robitaille as the all-time leading goal scorer in Kings' history.

Meanwhile, the Mighty Ducks face-off against the Chicago Blackhawks in Anaheim.

Just in case you didn't hear, our phone number has changed! You can now reach us at 206-337-1885!

Ducks Rebound Against Canucks

technologyted@mac.com — Sat, 11 Feb 2006 19:57:00 GMT

After a shaky outing against the Calgary Flames, the Mighty Ducks rebounded with a solid win against the Vancouver Canucks, 3-1. Anaheim dominated the play in the first and second periods and jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first off of goals by Joe DiPenta, Andy McDonald, and Joffrey Lupul. The Canucks were only able to answer with a single goal in the first period by Markus Naslund.

The goal and assist by McDonald give him points in ten straight games. Meanwhile, Ilya Bryzgalov, making another start after Giguere's poor performance against the Flames, made 27 saves on 28 shots. He stood especially tall in the third period as the Canucks outshot the Ducks 14-7 in the final frame.

More importantly for the Ducks, the win puts them a mere two points behind the Kings in the race for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Their next game will be agains the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday. The Blackhawks, tied for third worst in the league, face the Kings on Saturday, so the Ducks, with their superior skating, hope to take advantage of a tired a team.

Change in Phone Number

technologyted@mac.com — Thu, 9 Feb 2006 15:39:00 GMT

Our phone number has changed!

If you want to call and leave a voice message, our new number is 206-337-1885.

Thanks!

Ducks Can't Put Out the Flames

technologyted@mac.com — Thu, 9 Feb 2006 08:39:00 GMT

The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim were burned for three powerplay goals against the Calgary Flames and lost 3-1. All-World goalie Miikka Kiprusoff did the rest, making 31 saves on 32 shots. As spectacular as Giguere was in the shutout over San Jose, he looked rather ordinary on this night. The loss meant that the Ducks were unable to gain any ground on the Los Angeles Kings who lost against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The lone goal for the Ducks came from Andy McDonald, his 18th of the season. Meanwhile the Flames answered with goals by Matthew Lombardi, Daymond Langkow, and Chris Simon. Calgary only managed 24 shots on goal, but many of them were quality chances that were the result of less than stellar work by the Ducks' defensive coverage.

The Flames on the other hand allowed more shots, but they seemed to always be there to clear the rebounds away or lower the quality on the Ducks' attempts. This definitely was a game where the amount of shots didn't tell the whole story.

In this stretch prior to the Turin Olympics, the Ducks will face Vancouver and Chicago. The Kings will also face two opponents (Chicago and Dallas). Anaheim hopes to gain more ground and could possibly tie the Kings for eighth in the Western Conference by Sunday.

Unlucky Sevens for Kings

technologyted@mac.com — Thu, 9 Feb 2006 03:35:00 GMT

For a little over twenty glorious minutes, the Kings looked like they were going to play well and match up against the Columbus Blue Jackets. They took no penalties in the first period and were leading 3-1... wait a minute... this feels like deja vu. If the loss against the Wild was like the wheels falling off the cart, then this loss against the Blue Jackets was like the cart itself falling apart. Up 3-1, the Kings stopped playing, were out-shot 26-18 in the final two periods, and allowed five straight goals to lose 7-4. Seven goals! Seven losses in a row!

By the time the Kings woke up and began fighting for loose pucks, there were less than five minutes to play in the third period. Easy tap-ins were the story for the Blue Jackets as Garon was left out to dry too often. Columbus got goals from Letowski (2), Balastik, Vyborny, Federov, and Chimera (2). The Kings answered with goals by Belanger, Brown, Gleason (his first ever), and Armstrong. The line of Belanger, Brown, and Kostopoulos was the lone bright spot for Los Angeles. They seemed to be the only ones skating hard for the Kings and winning individual battles. Blue Jackets' goalie Marc Denis hardly out-played Mathieu Garon, but the sheer amount and quality of shots that Garon faced was a big reason he allowed more. However, Denis did come up with a few spectacular saves to rob Kings' players in the second and third periods, whereas Garon didn't seem to pull off as many miracles.

The Kings' losing streak is now at seven straight and they are in eighth place in the Western Conference, four points ahead of the Mighty Ducks. Los Angeles will try to rebound on Saturday against one of the worst teams in the league, Chicago.

Kings Fail to Answer the Call of the Wild

technologyted@mac.com — Wed, 8 Feb 2006 04:25:00 GMT

For a little over twenty glorious minutes, the well-rested Kings looked like they were going to have a solid game and match up against the Minnesota Wild. They only took two penalties in the first period as they out-shot the Wild 7-6. Then the second period began, and the wheels fell off of the cart.

Once again, penalties and the Kings' penalty-killing proficiency (or lack thereof) were at the root of the troubles for Los Angeles. They allowed five powerplay goals enroute to a ludicrous 5-1 defeat at the hands of the Wild. As the Kings' frustration level increased, they took more foolish penalties, leading to more powerplay goals and more frustration. The defensive coverage for the Kings was non-existent as they allowed five straight easy tap-ins by Minnesota players. Time and time again, Mathieu Garon was left alone to deal with trying to make miraculous saves on any number of Wild players a few feet away.

Eric Belanger, scored the lone goal for the Kings, and the team was only able to generate twenty shots on goal. Minnesota got a goal by Brian Rolston and two apiece from Gaborik and Dupuis. Manny Fernandez stood tall in net and saved nineteen shots. The Kings hope to end this six-game slide tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets, one of the leagues hotter teams the last few weeks.

Remembering Scott Stevens and Tooting Our Own Horn

technologyted@mac.com — Tue, 7 Feb 2006 02:12:00 GMT

Our Features Section is skipped this week in lieu of an expanded Good Section with the Players of the Month. We've got big trades, notable news, and an expanded Ugly Section to talk about some long losing streaks the past two weeks. Scott Stevens had his number retired by the New Jersey Devils, and we give a tribute to the defensive warrior.

Zoe and Genevieve do their Kings and Ducks Reports, and we also take a moment to talk about our recent press. Yes, folks, we were mentioned in the Sharkspages (a site about the San Jose Sharks, hockey, and San Jose sports) a few weeks ago, but this past week, we were the Podcast of the Week at LAist. If you've never heard of LAist, they're a great site that talks about all the happenings in and around Los Angeles. They were very complimentary of our Podcast and our analysts. They even made a point of mentioning Genevieve and her very honest assessment of how the Kings have been doing. It was a huge honor to be their very first Featured Podcast. You can find LAist by clicking here. You can also find the Sharkspages by clicking here.

Don't forget, if you have any questions or comments, email technologyted@mac.com or call 206-600-6216.

Have a great week of hockey!

Ducks Seeking Revenge Against Edmonton

technologyted@mac.com — Sun, 5 Feb 2006 19:54:00 GMT

Tomorrow night, the Ducks take on the Edmonton Oilers for a re-match of their embarrassing 3-6 loss on January 25th. This was the game that Jean-Sebastien Giguere lost his cool and decided to show Ryan Smyth his fighting spirit enroute to gathering 16 minutes of penalties. Unfortunately, his imitation of "Battling" Billy Smith didn't include stopping the puck particularly well, as he allowed five goals on only 25 shots.

Anaheim hopes that Giguere will show the same mettle he did in Saturday night's game against the Sharks, where their #1 netminder blanked San Jose for his second shutout of the season. Edmonton has been on a strong streak. They have four wins in their last five games. However, their goaltending has been suspect, and the Ducks quick transition game may generate more scoring chances.

The Kings continue their much needed rest. After playing the most games in the NHL, the Kings have been able to relax and take a few days off. The last game they played was Thursday against the Coyotes. Their next game will be in Minnesota on Tuesday night. Los Angeles is mired in a five game losing streak, but the last two games have seen more consistent play and a return to the fundamentals that saw the Kings lead the Pacific Division for much of the first half of the season.

Giguere Shows Fighting Spirit Without Penalty Minutes

technologyted@mac.com — Sun, 5 Feb 2006 03:40:00 GMT

Coaches bench players when they want them to work harder and think about how they've been playing. This is one of the few strategies that coaches have for getting results from the players they have. It looks like the Ducks' Randy Carlyle did the right thing by benching number one goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere for four games. Starting in his first game since a 3-6 loss to Edmonton on January 25th where he amassed 16 penalty minutes, Giguere responded by shutting out the San Jose Sharks 2-0.

The only scoring Anaheim needed was a second period goal by the normally ham-fisted Todd Fedoruk. Giguere made all 35 saves and Teemu Selanne added an empty-netter (his 26th of the season) to round out the scoring. Nabokov and the Sharks continued their splotchy play, mounting some serious, sustained attack, but not able to cash in on their chances. Although they out-shot the Ducks 35 to 23, Nabokov was unable to out-play Giguere, and the Sharks lost their second in a row.

Giguere really was the story of the game. He showed the brilliance, fire, and athleticism that made him the 2003 NHL Playoff MVP. The Ducks have a re-match with Edmonton on Monday, and they will need Giguere to play as well as he did tonight to beat the Oilers. It will also help if he doesn't lose his cool and chase down any of the Oiler players like he did the last time these two teams met up.

Kings Effort Bitten Down by Cujo & Coyotes

technologyted@mac.com — Fri, 3 Feb 2006 14:56:00 GMT

The story of the night was the goalie battle, and how Cujo (goalie Curtish Joseph) was spectacular and stole a win for the Coyotes. Newly acquired forward Steven Reinprecht's lone goal of the shootout won it for Phoenix. The 2-1 loss gave the Kings five straight losses, a season high, but the night's news wasn't all bad.

How are five straight losses a good thing? Well, it's not, but there was a silver lining to this current black cloud the Kings have been in. This was the second straight overtime loss for Los Angeles, and they played their second straight solid game. Getting one point is always preferable to no points. Almost all their injured players are back, and even Mattias Norstrom, who had his jaw wired shut after getting hit by a puck, was able to play. They only allowed one powerplay goal on seven tries by the Coyotes, and they outshot Phoenix 38 to 35. Garon was Joseph's equal until the shootout, matching him almost save for save for the night.

So there were some encouraging signs that the Kings will break out of this funk and retain their playoff spot. They currently hang onto sixth in the Western Conference by a fingernail over Colorado (one point ahead) and Edmonton (two points ahead). Anaheim is a mere seven points back and are in ninth place.

Ducks Have Wings Clipped in Shark Frenzy

technologyted@mac.com — Thu, 2 Feb 2006 13:08:00 GMT

Coming off of three straight wins, the Ducks played fairly well against the struggling Sharks. However, Jonathon Cheechoo, who previously had a hat trick against the Ducks on December 20th, had another to help the Sharks win 6-4. Anaheim outshot San Jose 39 to 34, and were buzzing the net toward the end of the game. Dustin Penner scored with 23 seconds left to pull the Ducks within one of the Sharks, but Evgeni Nabokov made some key saves to preserve their victory.

The Ducks, who led 1-0 and 2-1 before the Sharks came to life, also had goals from Selanne, McDonald, and Kunitz. This was Bryzgalov's first loss in four games. The Sharks also had goals from Mark Smith, Tom Preissing, and Nils Ekman.

Tonight, the Kings, with an almost healthy line-up, take on the Phoenix Coyotes. Los Angeles hopes to stop their current slide which has seen them lose four straight games.

Ducks Looking to Continue Streak

technologyted@mac.com — Wed, 1 Feb 2006 16:53:00 GMT

The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, looking to win their fourth straight game, face off against San Jose tonight at The Pond. Winners of the last three games, the Ducks are finding strength from some unlikely players. Rookie goalie Ilya Bryzgalov will likely start his fourth straight game. His strong play in net has been one of the big reasons for Anaheim's recent surge. They have also gotten scoring from many of their youngsters like Chris Kunitz and Joffrely Lupul.

Veterans Teemu Selanne and Scott Niedermayer also hope to continue their hot streaks. Their experience has really helped the club mature quickly. Selanne, who became the 70th player in league history to score 1,000 points, looks to continue his "fountain of youth" season. Niedermayer, playing with cartilage damage in his knee, has been dominant the last few games.

The inconsistent Sharks have struggled lately, losing their last three games to Anaheim, Phoenix, and Dallas. They have had a difficult time playing solidly for more than two games at a time.

We Honor Mario Lemieux & Welcome Back Genevieve

technologyted@mac.com — Tue, 31 Jan 2006 06:59:00 GMT

This enhanced podcast features a shout out to some notable players who achieved some notable milestones. We bid adieu to Super Mario who retired for the second (and final time) in his career. His irregular heartbeat was the final obstacle that did something that no defender was able to do consistently... stop Lemieux.

We also take a look at our picks for the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly this week. Hockey analysts Zoe and Genevieve also talk frankly about the Ducks and Kings this week, and TechnologyTed blasts the lack of respect in the NHL these days. We have returned to the studio and are LOVING it! The new portable USB microphones are good, but they don't compare to a good home studio set-up.

Don't forget... you can contact us with questions or comments at technologyted@mac.com or 206-600-6216.

Selanne Nets 1000th Point in Win Over Kings

technologyted@mac.com — Tue, 31 Jan 2006 04:57:00 GMT

The Kings came into Anaheim looking to play better than their last game where the Ducks embarrassed them 6-2. They achieved a little redemption by tying the Ducks with 2:03 left to play on a powerplay goal by Joe Corvo, but Los Angeles lost the game in overtime when Scott Niedermayer scored with a quick shot that beat Mathieu Garon. He ended the night with one goal and two assists.

The Ducks, inspired by Teemu Selanne's 1,000th career point, outplayed the Kings but not as badly as Saturday night. Although they outshot the Kings 45 to 32, Mathieu Garon was spectacular and kept the Kings in the game all night long. Anaheim got two goals from Selanne and one each from Niedermayer and Getzlaf. The Kings got goals from Brown, Armstrong, and Corvo. Selanne is the 70th player to reach 1,000 career points in the NHL, and he is the 7th European player to do achieve this milestone.

This was the first overtime win for the Ducks outside of a shootout. It was also the third win in a row for the team. Meanwhile, the Kings have now lost four straight games. The bright spot for Los Angeles is the fact that they were competitive for the majority of this game, and the players they recently got back from injury (Demitra, Frolov, and Belanger) all played stronger.

Ducks Overpower & Embarrass the Hapless Kings

technologyted@mac.com — Sun, 29 Jan 2006 03:14:00 GMT

Our apologies for missing a few days of our "daily" blog. Life on the road is difficult when you're trying to find Internet connections outside of meeting areas... and typing your hockey blog during meetings isn't always acceptable. So, as always, thanks for your continued patience and support!

In our hockey news, the Kings scored the first and last goals of the game, but the Ducks scored the middle six to beat Los Angeles 6-2 at the Staples Center. Mike Cammalleri scored both goals for the Kings on the powerplay, and their 2-for-9 conversion rate was actually decent. However, the Kings blew it on a full two-minute 5-on-3 advantage that was in the middle of a 5-minute major powerplay.

The Ducks, to their credit, won the game with intensity, great skating, and cashing in on more of their opportunities. They went 4-for-10 with the man-advantage and got goals from Lupul, Perry (2), Getzlaf, Kunitz, and Niedermayer. Ducks' back-up goalie, Ilya Bryzgalov easily out-dueled both Garon and LaBarbera, making 30 of 32 saves compared to the Kings' tandem's 27 saves on 33 shots.

This was the second straight impressive win for the Ducks who beat the Sharks 2-0 on Thursday night. This was the third straight loss for the Kings who are now a full seven points behind the division-leading Stars. The Kings have received no boost whatsoever from the recent return of Pavol Demitra, Eric Belanger, Aaron Miller, and Lubomir Visnovsky.

Corvo is the Hero for Kings of Overtime

technologyted@mac.com — Tue, 24 Jan 2006 15:48:00 GMT

When the Kings and Ducks meet, you can always count on having a spirited, competitive game. Riddled with injuries for the past two months, the Kings were able to come from behind to beat Anaheim 3-2 in the shootout. Mathieu Garon matched J.S. Giguere save for save throughout the game (33 saves to Giguere's 32) and out-dueled him in the shootout. The loss dropped the Ducks to 2-9 after regulation.

Defenseman Francois Beauchemin scored both goals for the Ducks and the Kings answered with goals by Frolov and Robitaille. The special teams played a big part of this game. One of Beauchemin's goals came on the powerplay and Frolov's was shorthanded. Robitaille continued sipping from the fountain of youth and scored the game-tying goal with 8:22 left in regulation.

After a scoreless overtime where the Kings failed to score on the powerplay (0-for-10 on the night), the stage was set for the shootout. Frolov and Robitaille both scored but were matched by McDonald and Selanne. In the fifth round of sudden death, Garon stopped Getzlaf and Corvo scored for the Kings.

The Kings, who have already played the most games in the NHL, continue their torrid pace and take on the San Jose Sharks tonight.

A Salute to Luc Robitaille and More Pool Tips

technologyted@mac.com — Mon, 23 Jan 2006 06:52:00 GMT

This week's enhanced Podcast is back to our regular format. We have the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, comments on the Nedved trade, Palffy's retirement, Luc Robitaille thoughts, and a big raspberry to Bryan Berard. Come and listen to our Ducks and Kings report! As always, we also talk about the hot teams and players. We also bring you an installment of our Pool Tips. This is a slightly shorter Podcast because we are recording on the road and needed to keep things brief. Just a bit of extra news, we are quickly approaching 3,000 total downloads for all our episodes. Thanks for making us so successful... and to think, we began this Podcast just to have fun together as a family and talk about Hockey!

As always, please feel free to contact us with questions or comments to technologyted@mac.com or call us at 206-600-6216.

Ducks De-Claw Panthers

technologyted@mac.com — Sun, 22 Jan 2006 23:02:00 GMT

Coming off of a big shootout win against the Senators, the Ducks continued to play strong and beat the Florida Panthers 1-0. The heroes of the night were Chris Kunitz and J.S. Giguere. Rookie Kunitz, playing impressively the last few games, scored the lone goal for the night. The other big story on the night was the Goalies' Duel with both goalies making 30 saves. The difference was that Giguere was perfect and Luongo allowed one.

The win gave the Ducks their second straight win and five out of six points for the past week. Playing solid team defense, Anaheim was able to hold Olli Jokinen in check. Giguere turned aside all six of his shots.

The Ducks continue to hold onto third in the Pacific Division and are five points out of the last playoff spot. They face their rivals the Los Angeles Kings on Monday night.

Sharks Bite Injury-Filled Kings Again

technologyted@mac.com — Sun, 22 Jan 2006 02:45:00 GMT

The Kings continued to have difficulty playing consistently without their injured players. In their 4-3 overtime loss to the Sharks, the Kings led 2-0 and 3-2 before giving up the game-tying goal with 29 seconds left to play in the third period and the winning goal with nine seconds left in OT. These late meltdowns were the result of inexperienced players making mistakes.

San Jose easily neutralized Craig Conroy who again played without Pavol Demitra and Alexander Frolov. The scoring was left to Parros, Cowan, and Corvo. The Kings played hard throughout most of the game, but got into penalty trouble, allowing three Sharks' powerplay goals. Garon did all he could, but allowed four goals on 33 shots.

Even with the overtime loss, the point put the Kings one point behind the Pacific Division leading Dallas Stars. The Kings hope to regroup against their highway rivals, the Mighty Ducks, on Monday night.

Luuuuuuuc Robitaille: The King of Los Angeles

technologyted@mac.com — Fri, 20 Jan 2006 16:30:00 GMT

It was a wild night at the Staples Center. To report that the Kings won 8-6 over the Thrashers would only scratch the surface of how strange the game was. The Kings led 2-0 and 3-2 before falling behind 3-5, rallying to go up 6-5, getting tied up at 6-6, and finally taking the lead for good at 7-6. Hard-working forward Jeff Giuliano had two goals for the night... tripling his season output. The Kings got an injured player back (Lubomir Visnovsky) and nobody else left the game injured. Jason LaBarbera got a rare start and won his first game since November 5th. "Defensive" defenseman Mattias Norstrom netted a shorthanded goal (the second of his career) and four assists for five points. The Atlanta Thrashers, with the fourth best powerplay in the league, were blanked with the man-advantage. Luc Robitaille, criticized throughout his career for his lack of speed, had a breakaway. In fact, Robitaille's hat trick to surpass Marcel Dionne for the most goals in a Kings' uniform was actually relatively normal... monumental but normal.

Giuliano got the game-winner in a true battle of teams playing the new style of the NHL. LaBarbera was average, making 33 saves on 39 shots and had moments of looking lost scattered with a greater number of times where he looked very good. The Thrasher super-trio of Hossa, Kovalchuk, and Savard were "held" to three goals and one assist and were a collective -5. In fact, the checkers assigned to neutralize the Kovalchuk line actually outscored them.

However, the night belonged to Robitaille. He now leads all Kings' goal scorers with 552. Marcel Dionne (L.A.'s first hockey superstar) had 550 as a King. Robitaille, the league's highest scoring leftwinger in history, now has 663 goals, 723 assists, and 1386 points in 1401 career games. In three stints with Los Angeles, Robitaille has played 14 seasons with the Kings and calls it home... making this accomplishment even sweeter. He got the record, and, more importantly to Luc, it was meaningful because it helped the Kings win a big game.

Ducks Hand Sens a Mighty Big Defeat in Ottawa

technologyted@mac.com — Fri, 20 Jan 2006 04:44:00 GMT

The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim outplayed the mighty Ottawa Senators on the road! Teemu Selanne returned to the team and scored his team-leading 20th goal, and the Ducks won just their second game in extra time. To say that the win was unexpected would be an understatement. With under two and a half minutes to play, the Senators scored a shorthanded goal to tie the game at three, and it looked like the writing was on the wall for a comeback by Ottawa that would result in a mighty disappointing loss for Anaheim... afterall, the Senators are one of the best teams in the league, right? And they know how to close out a game.

The Ducks limited the Senators to only one shot on goal in the overtime period and forced a shootout. J.S. Giguere, shakey in the shootouts this year, had to match skills with legendary goalie Dominik Hasek. Giguere faced Dany Heatley, Daniel Alfredsson, and Patrick Eaves, and blanked all three of them. Meanwhile, Chris Kunitz, one of many pleasant surprises for the Ducks this year, scored the lone goal and won the game for Anaheim. Giguere made 33 saves on 36 shots for the night.

Although they lost their previous game in overtime to Boston, the Ducks come out of this two-game roadtrip with three out of a possible four points and have to be proud of that. In their next game, they face Florida back at home on Saturday.

Kings Hope to Avoid a Thrashing

technologyted@mac.com — Thu, 19 Jan 2006 20:01:00 GMT

The good news for the Kings is that the Dallas Stars were beaten by the Atlanta Thrashers 5-2. The bad news is that the Thrashers, who are riding an extremely hot streak (five straight wins and 13-2-3 in their last 18) will visit the injury-depleted Kings tonight. Los Angeles may get Garon and Visnovsky back, but they will still be without leading scorer Pavol Demitra, and they continue to resemble the Manchester Monarchs more than the Kings lineup that began the season. Kara Yorio of the Sporting News wrote a nice article on the Kings injury woes and how well they've fared... all things considered. You can find her article here.

The Anaheim Mighty Ducks take on the powerful Ottawa Senators on the road. Like the Kings, they've been playing without their leading scorer as well, Teemu Selanne, who has a groin strain. They hope to break out of a recent slump that has seen them lose four of the last five games (three in overtime). They'll need to play perfectly against the division leading Senators (2nd overall in the Eastern Conference and league).

Meanwhile, in other NHL news, Penguins' star Ziggy Palffy, who had 42 points in 42 games this season, has hung up his skates after 12 years in the league. The 33-year-old right winger cited a shoulder injury as one of the reasons for his retirement. Best wishes to Palffy! We really enjoyed his skills and play in his five years in Los Angeles. Here is the Pens' press release.

The Mid-Season Report and Awards Predictions

technologyted@mac.com — Wed, 18 Jan 2006 04:52:00 GMT

Here it is, hockey fans... The Mid-Season Report! This enhanced Podcast is a little longer than usual because it has in-depth mid-season reports on the Kings and the Ducks as well as our Award Predictions. Based on the accomplishments thus far, our analysts make the predictions for the Rocket Richard, Hart, Vezina, Norris, Jack Adams, President's, and Lady Byng Trophies. We also give out a couple of "special" awards to predict some of the worst things we've seen this season. Come and listen to Zoe, Genevieve, and Technology Ted as they take a close look at how the season has gone so far.

This Podcast was created with the new Podcast Studio in GarageBand 3. Let us know what you think! Email technologyted@mac.com or call 206-600-6216. Have a great week of hockey!

Kings Lose Game and More Players

technologyted@mac.com — Wed, 18 Jan 2006 03:57:00 GMT

The Kings desperately try to stay afloat as they lose another game. This one was to the Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning. The 4-1 loss was disappointing, but the even worse news on the night was the loss of #1 goalie Mathieu Garon who was hit on the collar bone by a puck. Already playing the game without Pavol Demitra, Eric Belanger, Aaron Miller, Alexander Frolov, Lubomir Visnovsky, Jeremy Roenick, Ryan Flinn, and Valeri Bure, the Kings had good effort, but were sorely overmatched by the talented Lightning.

One of the few bright spots was play of Dustin Brown. Like the last game, he played hard and got on the scoresheet for Los Angeles. Up next for the Kings are the Atlanta Thrashers this Thursday night.

Ducks Come Back But Lose in OT

technologyted@mac.com — Tue, 17 Jan 2006 16:15:00 GMT

The visiting Ducks were able to overcome 2-0 and 3-1 deficits to tie the Bruins in regulation only to lose the game 4-3 in overtime. It seems like a mantra, this Achilles' Heel of the Ducks. They have won only one one game in the extra period, compared to nine losses.

Ilya Bryzgalov was ordinary in goal, only stopping 24 of 28 shots, and the Ducks didn't show up to play in the first period (getting outshot 12-5). They outshot the Bruins 23-10 in the final two periods, but it wasn't enough to overcome the strong play of Bruins' goalie Tim Thomas who preserved the tie to go into overtime.

The Ducks got goals from Scott Niedermayer, Chris Kunitz, and Ryan Getzlaf, but it was all for naught when Patrice Bergeron scored at 1:55 of overtime.

The Kings return home to take on the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight. Los Angeles is coming off of a horrendous road trip that saw them lose three of four with the final game a 10-1 blowout to the Buffalo Sabres

Apologies for the lateness of our podcast. We have had human and technical difficulties. We're trying out the new (and totally wonderful) Podcast Studio in GarageBand 3, and we're also trying to learn how to use the M-Audio iControl and the Shuttle Xpress. Things are going well, but slower than normal because of the slight learning curve. It should be up in a day or so. Also, this Podcast is a big one! It's our First Annual Mid-Season Report!

Kings Cut Down by Sabres

technologyted@mac.com — Sun, 15 Jan 2006 19:08:00 GMT

Two nights after the Kings soundly defeated Boston 6-0 with a superlative effort, Los Angeles was thoroughly embarrassed by the Buffalo Sabres 10-1. That's right. 10-1. Kings' TV Play-By-Play Man Bob Miller said, "Burn your tape of this game," and that about summed it up. On a night that saw not one but two hat tricks, the Kings looked like a minor league team... a very bad minor league team. Jochen Hecht and Jason Pominville both recorded hat tricks and Ryan Miller saved 32 of 33 shots.

The Kings rarely did more than stand around and watch the fast-skating, clean-passing Sabres. Denis Grebeshkov, one of the worst Kings in the game, was -5 for the night and gave up the puck for a few of Buffalo's goals. With this defeat, they went 1-3 on their four-game road trip, and they displayed how much they truly miss the recently injured Pavol Demitra. Lubomir Visnovsky also missed the game due to flu-like symptoms. Even Mathieu Garon, normally steady in net, looked out of place for two of the four goals he allowed (on only ten shots). Adam Hauser, playing in his first NHL game, was filling in for Jason LaBarbera who is on a minor-league conditioning assignment. Hauser also faced several quality chances due to the Kings' "matador defense." He ended up allowing six more goals on 24 shots.

Possibly the only bright spot for the Kings was recently returned forward Dustin Brown who played over 16 minutes, had an assist, and was the only L.A. player with a + rating on the night.

Every team has a lopsided defeat now and then. Afterall, one game does not a season make... so the sky is not falling, but the Kings do have to question the utter lack of effort they displayed in this embarrassment. The good teams rebound from it and display good effort the next game. The Kings, as injured as they are, need to show their mettle by coming back and demonstrating why they deserve their reputation as a "hard-working" team.

Overtime and Ovechkin Overcome the Ducks

technologyted@mac.com — Sat, 14 Jan 2006 20:00:00 GMT

For the eighth time in nine tries, the Ducks fell in overtime. This time, on the strength of a hat trick by Alexander the Great, the Ducks lost 3-2 to the lowly Washington Capitals. Anaheim got goals from Lupul and Moen, but lost it in overtime when Ovechkin scored his 30th goal of the season. The Ducks outshot the Caps 34 to 26, but Brent Johnson outplayed J.S. Giguere and earned his third win of the season. The Ducks travel to Boston to face the struggling Bruins on Monday night.

The Kings end their four-game road trip tonight by taking on the strong Buffalo Sabres. The Kings, 6-0 winners in their last game, are 1-2 on this road trip. Alexander Frolov broke out of a 21-game slump with a hat trick against the Bruins. Their injury woes continue, though, as Lubomir Visnovsky left the Boston game early with flu-like symptoms. He returned to L.A. to be examined for possible post-concussion symptoms. This would be a huge blow for the Kings who have had to endure recent losses to key contributors Pavol Demitra and Eric Belanger. The Sabres have played well most of this season, but have struggled with three losses in the last four games of their six-game homestand. They are led by their two quality goalies Ryan Miller and Martin Biron.

The NHL returns to NBC today with three different regional games being televised. Depending on the region, viewers may get to see Colorado vs. Philadelphia, Dallas vs. Boston, or Detroit vs. New York Rangers. These are the first of six Saturday telecasts that NBC will air this season. They will also air 14 nights of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Garon and Kings Rebound Against Bad Bruins

technologyted@mac.com — Fri, 13 Jan 2006 17:00:00 GMT

Los Angeles and Boston were both coming off embarrassing 6-2 losses, but the Kings were the ones who came out looking like they wanted to prove something. The 6-0 shutout victory over the Bruins was one of the Kings best performances for this season. Alexander Frolov had his best game in the last 22, scoring a hat trick in the third period. His goals included a waist-level deflection of a Dempsey point shot, a penalty shot, and a breakaway.

From the beginning, they skated hard, battled for loose pucks, and helped each other out. The stagnant defense that stood around watching the Ducks were particularly active, always pouncing on any rebound that Garon might have left out... not that there were many. Garon looked superb, turning aside all 30 shots that he faced and looking sharp in the first and second when the Bruins showed little bits of pressure.

The offense was provided by Joe Corvo, Mike Cammalleri, Dustin Brown, and Frolov. Brown scored in his first game back from injury - good news for the Kings. Unfortunately, the game also saw both Visnovsky (flu) and Avery (hit by shot) leave before the final buzzer. Hopefully both will be well for the Kings' next game against the tough Buffalo Sabres.

Our next Podcast will be the mid-year report with our reflections and award predictions.

Kings Looking to Rebound in Beantown and Milbury Resigns

technologyted@mac.com — Thu, 12 Jan 2006 21:00:00 GMT

The Kings, looking to rebound from two straight losses, will face the Boston Bruins tonight in Beantown. The Kings have been able to survive the majority of their injuries, but the most recent to leading scorer Pavol Demitra exposed their lack of game-breaking scorers. Although he isn't a replacement for Demitra, the return of Dustin Brown will give the Kings someone who's willing to skate hard, hit anything that moves, crash the net, and possibly contribute a goal.

In other big news, Mike Milbury has agreed to resign as GM once he and owner Charles Wang find a replacement. Milbury made some daring moves that paid off, but he has assembled a team this year that lacks leadership and effort.

Stirling Fired, Messier's Number Retired

technologyted@mac.com — Thu, 12 Jan 2006 02:08:00 GMT

In a not-too-surprising turn of events, Steve Stirling was fired by the struggling Islanders. New York posted an 18-22-2 record in their first 42 games, good for fourth in the division and twelfth in the conference. Although not the most talented of teams, the Islanders have a balanced team with several stars, solid scorers, mobile defenseman, and able goalies. Some of their brighter stars, like Jason Blake, have had injury problems.

However, their inconsistent, often un-inspiring play cost Stirling his job. The next coach can only hope that he will be that leader who can finally motivate and bring consistentcy to players like Yashin, Satan, Kvasha, and DiPietro. With this move, Mike Milbury, the Isles' very un-popular GM, is trying to look like he's actually doing something about his poor team. If the owner is smart, he'll fire Milbury as well.

In happier New York news, the Rangers will retire Mark Messier's number. In what will be an emotional ceremony, Messier's number will be raised to the rafters at Madison Square Garden while friends, family, and fans watch on. Messier, an integral part of the Oilers' Dynasty, came to Broadway in 1991 and helped the Rangers win their first Stanley Cup in 54 years in 1994.

Messier was a competitor, team player, clutch scorer, power forward, and the ultimate hockey leader. He had announced his retirement prior to the start of this season. Thanks for the memories, "Moose."

Ducks and Hedstrom Take Advantage of King-Size Mistakes

technologyted@mac.com — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 03:43:00 GMT

The battle-weary, injury-riddled, Los Angeles Kings lost their second game in a row as the Mighty Ducks pounced on LA and beat them 6-2 in Anaheim. The Kings out-shot the Ducks on paper, but that seemed to be the only "advantage" the Kings had all night. The Ducks fought for loose pucks, skated well, and buried their chances. Mathieu Garon let in some questionable goals, but was rarely supported when Anaheim went on the attack. The Monarch Call-ups were unable to keep pace with the high-flying Ducks.

Mighty Ducks' scoring was led by Jonathan Hedstrom's hat trick, but they also got contribution from Getzlaf, McDonald, and Kunitz. L.A.'s goals were scored by Conroy and Visnovsky... two of the few non-injured Kings who continue to produce. The Duck's team defense and forechecking kept the front of the net clear, and Giguere made 41 saves, mostly from the perimenter. The Kings lead this season's rivalry 2-1 (with one win on the shootout). The Ducks face Washington on Friday while the Kings continue their roadtrip in Boston.

Expanded Good News on Players of the Week and Month & New Pool Tips

technologyted@mac.com — Tue, 10 Jan 2006 03:44:00 GMT

Our latest Podcast features an expanded "Good" Section with coverage of the Players of the Month and Week. We also salute the Canadian Junior Team and the Philadelphia Flyers, the first team to 60 points.

Listen for some big news with a trade as well as our take on the BAD Chicago Blackhawks and Ugly World Junior Americans.

We also have a return of our rotational feature on Pool Tips. Please don't forget to email or call with questions or comments to technologyted@mac.com or 206-600-6216.

Ducks Back Home Against Visiting Kings & Monarchs

technologyted@mac.com — Mon, 9 Jan 2006 21:36:00 GMT

The Mighty Ducks look to give the Los Angeles Kings a chilly reception tonight in Anaheim. The Kings have many question marks for tonight's game. The only certainty is that tonight's game will be played with the intensity only befitting a cross-freeway rivalry. Among the questions for tonight are...

How will the Ducks react to the recent trade of Petr Sykora? Will the Kings lose more players to injury? Can J.S. Giguere gain some consistency? Will the Kings get any of their injured players back (they had ten regulars missing from their last game against the Sharks)? Will the Ducks learn to play some solid team defense for 60 minutes? Can the Manchester Monarch's additions to the Kings line-up continue to keep the parent club in the game?

All this and more will be answered tonight in Anaheim. Our next podcast will be up later tonight.

Injury Bug and Sharks Bite the Kings

technologyted@mac.com — Sun, 8 Jan 2006 18:27:00 GMT

It was the "other" Thornton (cousin Scott, not superstar Joe) that took advantage of the Kings' defensive lapses by scoring two goals - including the game-winner - enroute to the Sharks 3-2 victory over the Kings. The injury-plagued Los Angeles Kings played with decent intensity and speed for the first ten minutes of the game, jumping out to a 2-0 lead, until the San Jose regulars began playing better and took advantage of mistakes by the patchwork L.A. team. All three San Jose goals were the result of Kings' players not picking up their assignment quickly.

The game also featured a true rarity: Mathieu Garon was beaten cleanly by a good hard shot that took him by surprise. The un-screened shot by Thornton was the game-winner and capped off a three-goal comeback by the Sharks. With ten players injured for Los Angeles (leading scorer Pavol Demitra being the latest), the Kings have had to rely on key contributions from players who began the season in the minor leagues. The Kings will continue their current four-game road trip in Anaheim on Monday night.

Ducks Defense Looks Wild in Loss

technologyted@mac.com — Sun, 8 Jan 2006 16:30:00 GMT

For the second consecutive night, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim were out-worked and out-played, losing 4-1 to the stingy Minnesota Wild. The Ducks lone goal was scored by Todd Fedoruk. Minnesota's Manny Fernandez made 22 saves enroute to his sixth straight victory. The Ducks, who blew a three-goal lead in Dallas the night before, ended this road trip 2-2-1.

The sieve-like Ducks defense allowed the offensively-anemic Wild four goals on 36 shots and never looked like they were in the game. The inconsistent Ducks have struggled to stay above .500 as they try to find a way to go on a winning streak to get into the playoffs. With this loss, Anaheim drops to 10th in the conference but face dropping further if they continue their poor play. Phoenix is one point behind them and San Jose is only two points back.

To turn things around, they will need to take advantage of the injury-plagued Los Angeles Kings on Monday night in Anaheim.

Ducks Disappointed After Defeat to Dallas

technologyted@mac.com — Sat, 7 Jan 2006 18:54:00 GMT

A few nights after an inspiring come-from-behind victory against Nashville, the Mighty Ducks went ahead three goals agains the Stars but allowed Dallas to comeback and win 4-3 in overtime. The shootout loss was the seventh in eight times for the Ducks this season.

Tonight they get another chance to make amends as Anaheim takes on the Wild in Minnesota. The last place Wild are led by goalie of the week Manny Fernandez and their leading scorer Brian Rolston. The Wild continues to play solid defensive hockey and have allowed the third least in the NHL.

Meanwhile, the Kings will faceoff against the Sharks in San Jose. Los Angeles has been flying high despite numerous injuries to many regulars. Led by Mathieu Garon, the Kings have not had a regulation loss since December 23rd in Edmonton. San Jose has won two straight games and has responded well to the new line change that put Nils Ekman on the top unit with Jonathon Cheechoo and Joe Thornton.

Garon Gets His First Shutout of the Season

technologyted@mac.com — Sat, 7 Jan 2006 04:57:00 GMT

Mathieu Garon and the Los Angeles Kings defeated the Phoenix Coyotes 4-0 at the Staples Center. Except for a few rare instances, the Kings dominated from start to finish with Garon making several spectacular saves to maintain the shutout. Garon challenged the Phoenix shooters and stymied them time and time again.

The Kings got two goals from Luc Robitaille who is now only two goals away from surpassing Marcel Dionne for most goals as a King. Los Angeles also got goals from Corvo and Conroy. They continued to get contribution on the powerplay (they were 1-for-7) and their penalty killing was perfect.

Robitaille, who had previously been benched for three straight games, was involved in many key plays and seemed to be finding the openings he has been accustomed to over his career. The Kings also got a boost from the return of Sean Avery who was skating hard, making hits, and seeing the ice well.

With this win, the Kings have won three straight and lead the Dallas Stars by four points again. They are only one point behind the Detroit Red Wings for best in the Western Conference.

Canada Strikes Gold at World Juniors

technologyted@mac.com — Fri, 6 Jan 2006 16:32:00 GMT

For the second year in a row, the Canadian Men's National Junior Team won a Gold Medal at the annual World Junior Championship. The Canadians defeated the Russians in the Gold Medal Game 5-0. Just like the rest of their games this tournament, Canada did it with great goaltending from Justin Pogge, solid team defense (they never surrendered more than three goals in a game during the whole tournament), and dedication to the team system developed by coach Brent Sutter.

Unlike U.S.A. and Russia who both had many returning players to this tournament, Canada had a team filled with newbies for a national tournament of this size. Even in their "rebuilding" year, Canada showed the world that they have plenty of talent and, more importantly, a great deal more heart and coaching talent.

The U.S. team left extremely disappointed, as they turned in another less-than-adequate effort and lost the Bronze Medal Game to Finland 4-2. The favored U.S. team again failed to get any medal in a tournament they have the talent to win.

The reasons for Canada's success are the exact same causes of the U.S. downfall. For the whole tournament, they did not play like a team, did not get stellar goaltending at all times, and did not get a coaching system that the players followed. Walt Kyle is a good coach, but it was apparent that the Canadian squad had much more "buy-in" to Coach Sutter's system. Much like the U.S. Men's Olympic Squad of 2002, the star-studded line-up played like skating prima donnas instead of working together... for fans of the U.S. Junior Team, we can only hope that "next year" they can show better effort.

Kings Hope Garon Continues to Stand Tall

technologyted@mac.com — Thu, 5 Jan 2006 18:25:00 GMT

The Los Angeles Kings and Mathieu Garon, December Defensive Player of the Month, look to continue their winning ways against the Phoenix Coyotes tonight at the Staples Center. The Kings are 8-1-1 in their last ten games with their most recent loss (in overtime) coming against the Coyotes. Their recent spurt has put them two points ahead of the Dallas Stars for first in the Pacific Division.

The Coyotes are 2-1 since the return of head coach Wayne Gretzky and have been playing inspired hockey. Meanwhile, the Kings have been playing very well and are led by Garon, a steady team defense, and an awakening powerplay (10-for-35 in the last five games). They will need all three of these positives to continue winning. Los Angeles has nine players who are listed as day-to-day or on injured reserve. Forwards Sean Avery and Dustin Brown are the latest two to miss games with "upper body" injuries.

U.S. Juniors Lose to Russia, Canada Defeats Finland

technologyted@mac.com — Wed, 4 Jan 2006 17:29:00 GMT

Phil Kessel, Cory Schneider, Bobby Ryan, Chris Bourque, and the rest of the U.S. Junior Team lost to Russia 5-1. Their hopes of winning a Gold Medal at the World Junior Championships are over. The best they can do now is a Bronze Medal when they face the Finnish team (4-0 losers to Canada in the other semi-final match-up).

For the second straight year, a strong U.S. team, favored to win, will leave the tournament disappointed. Meanwhile, Canada, supposedly in a rebuilding year, have had a great tournament, boosted by the home crowd. They hope to win their second straight World Junior Championship in a match against the equally impressive Russian Team.

In other hockey news, Mathieu Garon of the Los Angeles Kings was named the Defensive Player of the Month for December. We knew that Garon and the Kings were doing well. Now the rest of the league has acknowledged it. Jaromir Jagr was named the Offensive Player of the Month. More on that in our next Podcast!

SoCal HockeyCast Special Feature on the World Junior Championship

technologyted@mac.com — Tue, 3 Jan 2006 04:54:00 GMT

We're Back! Despite hard drive failures, we're back to report on ice hockey around the NHL! Join us for our Kings and Ducks Report as well as three of the hottest teams in the league. Our special feature this week is a report on the World Junior Championships.

Thanks for all your loyal support and encouragement during our recent absence from the airwaves.

Kings Comeback with Three Powerplay Goals to Beat Dallas 3-2

technologyted@mac.com — Tue, 3 Jan 2006 03:05:00 GMT

The Kings gave a warm welcome to the visiting Dallas Stars by spotting them a two-goal lead. The welcome mat was pulled out from under Dallas as the Kings scored three powerplay goals enroute to a huge come-from-behind victory over their rival for first place in the Pacific Division.

Mathieu Garon and Lubomir Visnovsky had stellar nights. Garon stopped 31 of 33 shots, shutout the Stars for the last half of the game, and assisted on the game-winning goal by Mattias Norstrom. Visnovsky scored two goals and had an assist on the game-winner as well. His first goal was scored with less than one second left in the second period while the Kings had a two-man advantage. His second goal, the game-tying goal, came with 27 seconds left in the game with Garon pulled for the extra attacker. The Kings now lead the Pacific Division by four points.

In other big news, the U.S. National Junior Team defeated the Czech Republic 2-1 in quarterfinal action at the World Junior Championships. Phil Kessel and Chris Bourque scored for the U.S. team while Cory Schneider made 30 saves on 31 shots. The U.S. Team faces Russia next in the semifinal round. Canada will face-off against Finland (1-0 winners against Sweden).

Kings Rule Over Dallas and Ducks Win in OT

technologyted@mac.com — Sun, 1 Jan 2006 17:21:00 GMT

Happy New Year!!!!

Mathieu Garon turned aside 38 of 40 shots to lead the Kings to another road win over Dallas 3-2. Los Angeles celebrated New Year's Eve by dominating the first two periods with goals by Frolov, Armstrong, and Kostopoulos (the game-winner).

Down 3-0, the Stars came back in the third period, out-shooting the Kings 17-1 in the period. Garon made several stellar saves and was able to shut down the Stars after Mike Modano's second powerplay goal at 6:52 of the third period. Although the Kings allowed several shots and were out-played by the Stars in the third period, many of Dallas' chances were from the perimeter. The Kings held onto the win with great goaltending and more disciplined play, only taking one more penalty in the period.

With this win, the Kings have beaten the Stars three times on the road and currently hold first in the Pacific Division by three points. The two teams will meet again on Monday at the Staples Center.

In other SoCal Hockey News, the Ducks managed to hang onto a win against the lowly St. Louis Blues. Anaheim trailed 1-0 after only 30 seconds, but they fought hard and held leads of 3-1 and 4-2 (with a very strange goal scored by the Blues' Dean McAmmond on his own net), before allowing the Blues to battle back to tie the game at 10:51 of the third period. After a scoreless overtime, the Ducks were able to win outside of regulation for the first time in seven tries. Chris Kunitz scored two goals for the night and also had the only shootout goal for either team as J.S. Giguere proved that he can handle the overtime pressure.

The Ducks have been trying to find a little consistency in their play so that they are in a position to be in the playoffs, but they wound up winning another sloppy game with mistakes at both ends. The best news on the night was the fact that they did end up with a win with a shootout. Hopefully this first OT win will give the team and #1 netminder Giguere a boost of confidence.

Kings Waste Armstrong's Hat Trick and Lose Belanger

technologyted@mac.com — Fri, 30 Dec 2005 16:55:00 GMT

When a team has 40 shots on net and scores five times, including one powerplay and one shorthanded goal, they normally win. However, the Kings, displaying terrible penalty-killing, poor goaltending, and mediocre team defense, lost 6-5 to the Phoenix Coyotes in overtime. The bright spot was Derek Armstrong who had a hat trick and sent the game into overtime with about one minute to go in the third period. Kevin Ballard, taking advantage of a bad line change and an even worse bounce, scored the shorthanded game-winner in overtime. The win for the Coyotes gives them two straight since Wayne Gretzky returned to the team from a ten-day leave of absence to be with his mother.

Jason LaBarbera didn't get much help from the team defense, but he also didn't help himself, allowing several soft goals enroute to his 20 saves on only 26 shots by Phoenix. The penalty-killers allowed three goals on six chances, and the powerplay units converted two goals on eight tries but also gave up the shorthanded tally in the end. The Kings continued to get scoring from different players with goals by Cammalleri and Avery (a shorthander) in addition to Armstrong's hat trick. Perhaps the worst news on the night was the loss of Eric Belanger who re-aggravated his groin injury and will be out indefinitely. Belanger, one of the Kings' most consistent players and a faceoff specialist, previously missed two games due to a groin pull.

With the salvaged point, the Kings remain one point ahead of Dallas for first in the Pacific Division. They now face the Stars in an important home-and-home series on Saturday and Monday.

In other news, Sandis Ozolnish took a leave of absence from the Mighty Ducks to help treat a substance abuse problem. The veteran defensman has only played in thirteen games this season due to injuries. Because this is his first offense, and because he is voluntarily undergoing treatment, the team and the league will not penalize Ozolnish further. Our thoughts go out to him in beating this problem.

Demitra and The Kings Take Advantage of Poor Goaltending

technologyted@mac.com — Thu, 29 Dec 2005 17:04:00 GMT

The Los Angeles Kings went to Denver to face the Colorado Avalanche and their myriad of sub-standard "NHL" goalies. Next to St. Louis, the Avalanche sport some of the most inconsistent goaltending in the league. The Kings took advantage of this, scoring five goals enroute to a 5-3 victory, as they had a chance to see both Aebischer and Budaj.

Mathieu Garon showed the Avalanche what a good goalie can do, as he made 32 saves for the win. Demitra scored twice and three other Kings (Cammalleri, Visnovsky, and Kostopoulos) contributed to continue the recent trend in balanced scoring.

In Columbus, Ducks' goalie J.S. Giguere played one of his best games in recent weeks only to be spolied by a accidental tip-in by his own teammate Teemu Selanne. Giguere ended up making 42 saves to Denis' 40 as the Blue Jackets beat the Ducks 1-0.

Kings and Ducks in Action Tonight

technologyted@mac.com — Wed, 28 Dec 2005 16:13:00 GMT

Tonight, the Kings take on the Avalanche and the Ducks face off against the Blue Jackets.

Los Angeles, winners of five of their last six games, will try to win their second game in a row against a high-scoring but inconsistent Colorado club. The Kings need to continue their recent success on the powerplay (3-for-9 against San Jose) and get good goaltending from Mathieu Garon for their best chance at a victory tonight.

Anaheim, also an inconsistent but talented club, will face former Duck Sergei Fedorov for the first time since his trade to Columbus. So far, the trade has worked in Anaheim's favor. Fedorov, known for his solid all-around play has only one goal and six assists in eighteen games with the Blue Jackets. Meanwhile, defenseman Francois Beauchemin, part of that trade, has two goals and seven assists in fifteen games. Tyler Wright, the other player in that trade, has chipped in two goals and two assists along with solid, energetic play.

Laptop Update: Bad news... The hard drive couldn't be recovered, so I have lost the Holiday show. We hope to have our next Podcast up on New Year's Day or the day after. Thanks for all the continued support!

Kings Powerplay Takes Bite Out of Sharks

technologyted@mac.com — Tue, 27 Dec 2005 18:04:00 GMT

The Kings, 0-for-12 on the powerplay in their most recent game agains the Oilers, were 3-for-9 with the man-advantage against the Sharks to win 4-3 at the Staples Center.

Los Angeles showed a lot of jump in their step and dominated the first two periods and beginning of the third, staking a 4-1 lead. They showed heart and determination, holding off San Jose's third period onslaught and getting the victory.

With this victory, the Kings have won six of their last eight games and keep pace with the Dallas Stars for first in the division.

Thanks for your continued patience on the posting of our latest Podcast. Our dead laptop still has the latest episode, and we are currently writing this report from the Sacramento Apple Store as we await a free Genius to help us.

Delays

technologyted@mac.com — Mon, 26 Dec 2005 20:26:00 GMT

Our apologies for the delays on our latest Podcast. We had a hard drive failure that contained this week's episode all ready to go. We apologize for any inconvenience and are working hard to get everything up and running again. Until then, there may be a small gap in our blog and Podcast. Thanks!

Happy Holidays from SoCal HockeyCast

technologyted@mac.com — Sun, 25 Dec 2005 05:13:00 GMT

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Chanukkah, Kwanzaa, or the Winter Solstice... the staff of the SoCal HockeyCast would like to wish you all a Happy Holiday!

Kings Fall Flat Against Oilers

technologyted@mac.com — Sat, 24 Dec 2005 17:27:00 GMT

Two teams with four-game winning streaks met... and, of course, only one could walk away with a five-game streak. In an ironic turn of events, the Kings allowed their opponent to come from behind and win the game. The Oilers, 5-3 winners with an empty-net goal, were able to dominate the Kings in the third period, tie the score at three and go ahead with about five minutes to play.

Playing the last game of a three-game roadtrip, the Kings looked decent in the first period, dominated the second, and seemed to run out of gas in the third. Andy Murray, with an injury-depleted line-up, again relied on two main lines to take most of the skating duties, and the penalty-filled game seemed to sap those lines of the necessary energy to create any momentum.

The Kings also continued to have problems on the special teams, going 0-for-12 on the powerplay and allowing three goals during penalty killing. The winning goal, scored by Ales Hemsky, was a controversial one as he moved his foot forward and changed the angle to deflect the puck past Garon. After video review, it was deemed a goal, and the Kings had lost the lead and the game.

Kings Looking for Five Straight

technologyted@mac.com — Fri, 23 Dec 2005 19:01:00 GMT

Two-and-a-half weeks ago, the Los Angeles Kings looked like a team that had lost their direction and identity. Mired in their worst losing streak of the season, they were playing with little energy or determination. Inconsistent play throughout the middle and end of November caught up with them as they lost seven out of ten games through the beginning of December. "Hard to play against," a motto they used in coach Andy Murray's first season, had become, "Hardly playing again."

Fast forward to their final game before the holiday break... the Kings are looking for their fifth straight victory, a season high. Their 45 points puts them in a tie for 1st in the Pacific and 7th most points in the league. Perhaps the biggest things they've discovered are distributed scoring across their team and a solid goaltender in Mathieu Garon.

The Kings recently beat two of the top home teams (Vancouver and Calgary) with a mix of timely goal-scoring, grit, and solid goaltending. They will need all three to beat the Oilers tonight in Edmonton. The Oilers are also winners of four straight and have beaten Vancouver and Calgary with convincing performances.

Kings Torch the Flames with Five Straight Goals and Ducks Demolish the Blues

technologyted@mac.com — Thu, 22 Dec 2005 21:58:00 GMT

The visiting Kings won their fourth straight game 5-2 against the Calgary Flames. This was another come-from-behind victory for Los Angeles who spotted the Flames two goals in the first period. Thereafter, it was all Garon and the Kings, as Cammalleri, Giuliano, Demitra, and Kostopoulos scored five straight goals. They also played good team defense and showed heart and determination by not giving up against a Calgary team that had only lost two regulation home games this season.

This makes two straight games the Kings have won against strong home teams. In their previous comeback victory, the Kings beat Vancouver who were 13-1-2 at home this season. Down 2-1 after two periods, Mike Cammalleri and Jeff Giuliano scored 27 seconds apart to help unravel an otherwise steady Calgary team. In all, player-of-the-week Kiprusoff allowed four goals on just 17 shots.

With this win, the Kings stayed tied with the Stars for most points in the Pacific Division. It was an especially rewarding victory for the Kings who were without regulars Roenick (broken finger), Conroy (flu), and Belanger (groin). The Kings finish off this pre-holiday road trip with a visit to Edmonton on Friday.

In Anaheim, the Ducks took on the last place St. Louis Blues and rebounded from their loss to the Sharks by winning 6-3. After playing to an even score for almost eight minutes, the Ducks scored three goals in a little over three minutes and never looked back. The penalty-laden, fight-filled game saw Anaheim score shorthanded, four-on-four, even strength, and on the powerplay. They got two goals from Andy McDonald and another strong performance from Petr Sykora who had two assists. The Ducks took advantage of the fact that the Blues lack an NHL goalie... Bacashihua and Divis both allowed three goals. Here's what our on-location correspondent, Adrienne, had to say about the game...

Teemu was really on the ball. At one point, Giggy had let the puck get behind him but it didn't go into the net. Teemu jumped behind him and swept it away. Lots of near misses. Giggy is looking sloppy. His wins are almost due to luck now, not skill. The first two St. Louis goals were sloppy and should never have happened. I think Giggy knew it too because he threw a mini tantrum.
Overall, the team as a whole chipped in again on this game, as they have been doing in many games we've seen. Everyone contributes, which is obviously, what makes the difference.
St. Louis was haphazard and chippy. They're fast, I'll give them that. The speed was turned up a bit, but I found that they couldn't necessarily control the puck for an extended period of time. Lots of hotheadedness and fighting erupted all the time. I agree with you about the lack of leadership. They seem really immature and unsure of what direction they're going!

Now the Ducks get a break till after Christmas!

Cheechoo Train Runs Over Ducks

technologyted@mac.com — Wed, 21 Dec 2005 17:26:00 GMT

Jonathon Cheechoo will probably never be known for his dance moves, but he's making quite a name for himself with his goal scoring. After his first career hat trick, the Sharks' forward now leads the team with 16 goals (nine since the arrival of Joe Thornton). His two third period goals (30 seconds apart) turned a close game against Anaheim into a 4-2 win for the Sharks. San Jose was looking to avenge a 5-4 loss on Sunday to the Ducks (their first in the Joe Thornton Era), but they actually didn't look convincing in their win.

The Ducks held their own for most of the first two periods in the 4-2 loss, but they had defensive lapses that cost them dearly. J.S. Giguere was shakier than normal, allowing four goals on 18 shots before giving way to back-up goalie Ilya Bryzgalov.

Although Giguere wasn't spectacular, more of the blame should be put on the team defense that did not clear out players crashing the net or looking for rebounds. The two bright spots for the Ducks were Petr Sykora, who played another strong game, and Teemu Selanne, who has been re-energized by the addition of Sykora to the first line.

The Kings, hoping to win four straight games, take on the Calgary Flames tonight at the Saddledome. They'll try it without Jeremy Roenick, one of the stars in their win against Vancouver on Monday. JR has a broken finger and is expected to miss 4 to 6 weeks.

Frolov and Garon: Kings of the Shootout... The Hockey World Mourns the Loss of Phyllis Gretzky

technologyted@mac.com — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 16:16:00 GMT

Three games... three wins... three styles of play. The Los Angeles Kings who have now won three in a row were 4-3 winners in a shootout game against the Vancouver Canucks. The impressive thing about their recent winning streak is the fact that Los Angeles has shown that they can play a diverse style and are able to win when they show patience and good effort.

In the game against Anaheim, the Kings matched the Ducks' intensity and skating, displaying a run-and-gun style. Against the Coyotes, the Kings played a slower, more careful game that they won by capitalizing on their few opportunities. In last night's game, L.A. beat the Canucks by coming from behind 2-0 and 3-2. In all three of these wins, the Kings have shown much more effort and intensity, winning the battles for loose pucks and keeping their legs moving.

Jeremy Roenick, playing another game on a line with Pavol Demitra and Craig Conroy, played his best game of the season. His effort and skating were apparent as he registered a goal, an assist, and several big hits. Conroy also had a goal and an assist in the win.

The big story was the shootout, the Kings' second in three games. As with the Anaheim game, Mathieu Garon stopped all the shootout attempts he faced, Alexander Frolov scored, and the Kings won. With this win, and the Stars' loss, Los Angeles climbs back into a tie with Dallas for first in the Pacific. The Kings hope to keep the momentum going when they visit the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night.

In other news: Ed Belfour, after five unsuccessful attempts, now has sole possession of second in all-time career wins for a goalie! The Maple Leafs rebounded from their 8-2 loss to Ottawa and helped Belfour make history by beating the Islanders in a wild 9-6 game. In the end, nobody will ask Belfour how he did it... just how many. Congratulations on moving past Terry Sawchuk for career win 448!

Also, Phyllis Gretzky, the mother of Wayne Gretzky passed away last night from lung cancer. Our best wishes go out to the Great One, his father Walter, and the rest of his family in this tough time. He's a class act and always has been. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree there. She and Walter were always generous of their time for their family, fans of Wayne, and the world of Hockey. We'll miss you.

Technology Ted Talks About Terrible Teams and Tiny Talent

technologyted@mac.com — Mon, 19 Dec 2005 19:16:00 GMT

This week's episode has a Ducks' Report and Kings' Report provided by our two expert anaylsts, Zoe and Genevieve. We also salute the Players of the Week, Martin Biron, and the Little Guys who make a big impact (like Martin St. Louis, Paul Kariya, Petr Prucha, Jason Blake, Mike Cammalleri, and more)! In our feature of the week, we talk about three of the Terrible Teams in the league.

We have a new phone number that you can call and leave messages on! Call us at 206-600-6216 and leave comments or questions!

Have a great week of hockey!

Ducks Prove that New Look Sharks are Mortal

technologyted@mac.com — Mon, 19 Dec 2005 11:12:00 GMT

The Ducks, once again displaying their wild inconsistency, handed the Sharks their first defeat in the Joe Thornton Era. Getting goals from Kunitz, Fedoruk, Marchant, and both Niedermayer brothers, the Ducks held on to defeat the Sharks 5-4. The scoring was back and forth with San Jose battling back to tie the game four times, but Anaheim prevailed on Rob Niedermayer's tip-in with about ten minutes left in the third period.

The relatively wide-open game saw J.S. Giguere get one more save than the Shark's Evgeni Nabokov and several saves on end-to-end rushes. Each team had 34 shots on goal. The Ducks hope to gain some momentum from beating one of the hotter teams in the league... a knack the Ducks seem to have this season with wins against Nashville, Detroit, Tampa Bay, Montreal, and the current Sharks team. San Jose will have to wait until Tuesday to see if they can begin a new winning streak.

Kings Win Two in a Row

technologyted@mac.com — Sun, 18 Dec 2005 16:39:00 GMT

For the first time since November 22nd, the Kings have won two games in a row. Facing off against the Phoenix Coyotes, Los Angeles was able to grind out a 4-1 victory with Joe Corvo netting the game-winner. The Coyotes, playing without coach Wayne Gretzky (who took a leave of absence to be with his mother who's suffering from Lung Cancer), played well on the powerplays, but were unable to convert their five-on-five chances.

Garon was less spectacular in goal against the Coyotes, but he didn't need to be amazing because the Kings played much more solid team defense, only allowing 26 shots on goal. Garon earned his second straight win through great positional play and just being steady. With this win, the Kings are in a tie for first in the Pacific Division with the Dallas Stars... but before we break out the champagne or sparkling apple cider, just remember, the Stars have five games in hand.

In the "Terrible Teams" Match-up, the Atlanta Thrashers, 11th in the Eastern Conference played against the Florida Panthers, 13th in the Eastern Conference. The Thrashers, who have played better of late, narrowly beat the Panthers 2-1 on solid goaltending by Michael Garnett. Who? Just kidding, I'm sure everyone knows that he's the most used of the five Thrasher goalies who have played this season.

New Podcast up by tomorrow!

Garon Stands Tall As Kings Nab Shootout Win Over Freeway Rival Ducks

technologyted@mac.com — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 19:27:00 GMT

The Kings and Ducks faced off last night at the Arrowhead Pond. The wide open game ended with a 4-3 win for Los Angeles but featured two lead changes, intense hitting, a shootout, and some incredible goaltending by J.S. Giguere and Mathieu Garon. The Kings, who have been mired in a deep, listless funk for much of the last month, played with an intensity that they seem to always have when facing off against their cross-freeway rivals. Anaheim, on the other hand, have seen a general upward trend in their playing, but have also had some inconsistency. The Ducks played with intensity and good effort.

The Kings dominated the first period scoring with two powerplay goals by Dustin Brown and Derek Armstrong. Meanwhile, not to be outdone, the Ducks came back with a goal in the first by Petr Sykora and two in the second by Marchant and Lupul.

The third period mostly belonged to the Ducks with shots on goal (16-7), but Garon shut the door and the Kings made the most of their scoring chances when they picked up their intensity during that period. Rookie Petr Kanko scored a goal off the skate of Keith Carney after a superb forechecking effort by fellow rookie Jeff Giuliano. With intense pressure, Giuliano knocked the puck away from Carney toward Kanko who quickly protected it from the Ducks' Joe DiPenta. With his quick centering pass out front, Kanko banked it off of Carney's skate and past Giguere for the equalizer. Playing for Robitaille (a healthy scratch), Kanko demonstrated how effort, skating, and determination can create chances. Although some may call his goal a "fluke" or "lucky," it would have never happened without the intensity of Giuliano and Kanko on their shift.

The goalie duel continued with amazing, acrobatic saves on a number of odd-man rushes, and the teams had to decide the game in an overtime shootout. Pavol Demitra and Alexander Frolov scored for the Kings while Garon stopped Teemu Selanne and Scott Niedermayer. Garon's last save was especially incredible as he stayed with the defenseman and kicked out his right pad to smother Niedermayer's stuff-in attempt. The 4-3 score didn't tell how much of a goalie duel it was as the netminders faced a total of 82 shots total. Garon turned aside 42 shots enroute to the well-deserved victory.

Meanwhile in our report of the terrible teams, Pittsburgh lost their first game under new coach Michel Therrien 4-3. They were facing the high-flying Buffalo Sabres. Goalie Martin Biron is the first goalie in eight years to record 12 straight wins. In other terrible teams, St. Louis lost 5-1 to the mildly better Chicago Blackhawks.

Terrible Teams Strike Back and Showdown in the Pacific

technologyted@mac.com — Fri, 16 Dec 2005 15:54:00 GMT

In this week's expanded coverage of the leagues teams with poor records, we take a look at the shocking victory enjoyed by the Panthers. The Detroit Red Wings were surprised by a strong Panthers' effort and lost 2-3 in overtime on Olli Jokinen's powerplay goal. Florida, tied for fifth least points in the league, have actually won four of their last five games at home.

Penguins' coach Ed Olczyk, was fired on Thursday for failing to take a star-studded line-up much past the cellar of their division. He'll be replaced by Michel Therrien, the former coach of the Montreal Candiens who was running the Penguins' minor league team in Wilkes-Barre. Fans with good memories will recall the emotion that Therrien brought to the game. Penguins' GM Craig Patrick had better hope Therrien can transfer that emotion to the players or it'll be his job next!

In really important news: The Kings travel to Anaheim to take on the Mighty Ducks. The Kings hope to break out of a listless funk that has seen them drop from the third most points in the league down to a tie for 13th. Meanwhile, the Ducks have steadily improved and are a mere two points out of a playoff spot after initially playing like they were hoping to have the first pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. Tonight's game marks the first of 13 straight for the Kings against Western Conference teams... a stretch of games that will see them come out with a strong identity as winners, losers, or (most likely) somewhere in-between (it's called parity in the league.

Kings Play Another Flat Game, Lose to Caps

technologyted@mac.com — Thu, 15 Dec 2005 07:29:00 GMT

When you're at home and facing the the worst road team in the league (also the worst team in the Eastern Conference), it's expected that you will win. Kings's fans left the game shaking their heads at this latest pathetic display of lack of effort against the Washington Capitals. The score was 3-2, but the Kings were outplayed for 2 full periods and never truly looked in the game after the first period.

Although the whole team played terribly, the goalies were the difference. Ollie the Goalie looked sharp and made many difficult and routine saves. Jason LaBarbera, starting in the place of an ill Mathieu Garon, looked shaky and allowed three soft goals, including Jamie Heward's game-winner with about a minute to play. The Kings need a shake-up on their team... perhaps not to the extent of the Thornton Trade, but they need something to shake-up their ranks.

Down the freeway from the Kings game, the Mighty Ducks looked extremely sharp in their 4-2 win of the red-hot Tampa Bay Lightning. They did everything that a good hockey team wants to. They finished their checks, skated hard, fought for loose pucks, buried their chances, and got solid goaltending.

New addition, Francois Beauchemin, had two assists and scored the game-winning goal. J.S. Giguere put in another solid performance as he and the Ducks ended John Grahame's nine-game winning streak.

Next up for the Kings and Ducks is a face-off this Friday night. The Kings hope to take a firmer grip on their meager hold of second place in the Pacific Division while the Ducks hope to give themselves some breathing room above .500.

Technology Ted Takes Aim at Terrible Teams

technologyted@mac.com — Wed, 14 Dec 2005 16:20:00 GMT

Our next enhanced Podcast will have a feature on Who's the Worst of the Worst? In preparation for that Podcast, we will be covering a few of these teams in our daily blog (in addition to our usual coverage of the SoCal Hockey teams).

Last night, the inconsistent Penguins faced off against the even lower Blues. The Blues, losers of the last three, produced 41 shots against the Pens and won 3-0. Curtis Sanford, a former defensive player of the week this season, earned another shutout. He only has three wins total this season, but two of them are shutouts.

Tonight the L.A. Kings take on the Eastern Conference's worst team, the Washington Capitals. The caps come in with 4 losses in their last five games. Their one bright spot has been Alexander Ovechkin, their rookie of the year candidate.

Meanwhile, the Ducks face off against the surging Tampa Bay Lightning. They hope to avoid a two-game losing streak after Monday's lackluster effort against the Toronto Maple Leafs. If Giguere gives the same solid performance, he will keep the Ducks within striking distance if they come out with a solid effort.

Leafs Finally Win... But Belfour Out

technologyted@mac.com — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 17:57:00 GMT

The Toronoto Maple Leafs, trying to break out of a four-game slide and help Ed Belfour become the goalie with the second most career wins, was able to gain a win against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim by a score of 3-2. However, Belfour, nursing a sore groin missed the game and the chance to make history.

The Ducks, who lacked energy for the most of the match, were kept in the game by J.S. Giguere who was started his second straight game since returning from injury. Giguere looked sharp and saved the Ducks from being totally embarrassed.

The Ducks take on a resurgent Tampa Bay team on Wednesday and hope to face the Lightning with more energy than they displayed last night. Meanwhile, the Leafs have a break until Saturday when they take on the Ottawa Senators. If Belfour returns by then, the Leafs will need an outstanding effort because the Senators will want to continue to prove that their recent two-game losing streak was nothing more than a fluke.

Good luck, Eddie! We're rooting for you!

Good, Bad, & Sad... and the "Other Rookies" Feature

technologyted@mac.com — Mon, 12 Dec 2005 07:26:00 GMT

Our latest enhanced podcast covering the Sharks, Sabres, Lightning, Kings, Ducks, and "other" notable rookies playing who aren't named Ovechkin or Crosby.

Genevieve and Zoe let you know which rookies they think are impressive and why. We also have more news and rumors. Enjoy!

Kings and Ducks Win as a Birthday Gift to Me

technologyted@mac.com — Sun, 11 Dec 2005 17:58:00 GMT

Go Kings! Go Ducks!

While you all eagerly await my next Podcast, enjoy a good edition of Facing Off with David Amber. His subject is a Q&A with Bryan McCabe. Amber writes entertaining, informative specials for a little news agency called ESPN. McCabe has been spectacular this season while leading the Leafs and all defenseman in scoring. Combined with his toughness and solid defensive play, I think McCabe is a definite candidate for the Norris Trophy this year. You can find the article here.

Podcast up later today after my Birthday celebrations!

Technology Ted's Prescription: Face Off Against One of the League's Worst and Call Me in the Morning

technologyted@mac.com — Sat, 10 Dec 2005 17:57:00 GMT

"Hard to Play Against" is a mantra that Andy Murray would like the Kings to remember. If the Kings hope to rebound and begin winning again, they should take this saying to heart. They face the Florida Panthers (fifth worst in the league) tonight at the Staples Center and hope to avoid a three-game home losing streak. If they can produce the same effort that they did in the second half of their recent game against the Hurricanes, and if they can get more consistent goaltending, and if they can improve their special teams, then they have a good chance of winning. Wow, lots of 'if's. Against the Panthers, they've got as good a chance as any!

The Ducks continue their Eastern roadtrip by facing off against an oft-injured but well-rested Montreal Canadiens team. The Habs last played against the Kings on December 3rd. The Ducks need to get back to their fast-skating, hard-playing, team-defense-first, great goaltending strategy they had in their four-game winning streak. It would also help if their big guns (Selanne, McDonald, and Lupul score).

The Kings are Blown Away by Strong Hurricanes in First Period

technologyted@mac.com — Fri, 9 Dec 2005 17:10:00 GMT

The Los Angeles Kings, facing the Southeast Division leading Carolina Hurricanes, played one horrible period, one decent one, and one dominant one, but it wasn't enough to overcome a three-goal deficit, and they fell 3-2. Martin Gerber, coming off a great game against the Mighty Ducks on Tuesday night, faced 37 shots for the second straight game and turned aside 35 of them. Especially in the third period, when the Kings outshot the Hurricanes 18-6, Gerber made spectacular saves and was easily the primary reason Carolina won.

Carolina dictated the pace of the game in the first period and jumped out to a two-goal lead. The Hurricanes added another goal in the second to go up by three goals, but the Kings began playing much better in that period. Although the Kings dominated the third period, and were able to make it closer with goals by Belanger and Cowan, their not-very-special teams sealed their fate once again. They failed to score a powerplay goal and are now 3-for-53 in the past eight games (an abysmal 5.7% success rate). In that time, they've also allowed two shorthanded goals. The Kings hope to rebound against a struggling Florida Panthers team on Saturday night.

Meanwhile, the Mighty Ducks faced off against a hot Buffalo Sabres team and failed to protect a lead, eventually losing 3-2 in overtime. J.S. Giguere, in his first start since November 20th when he injured his hamstring, looked unstoppable before allowing a Thomas Vanek penalty shot almost mid-way through the second period. Maxim Afinogenov scored the game-winning goal on a powerplay with the Ducks' Todd Marchant off for hooking.

The Ducks looked much better than their previous game against the Carolina Hurricanes, and Giguere provided extremely solid, sometimes spectacular goaltending, but the team was unable to stop a determined, confident Sabres squad who are now 5-1 in overtime games. Losers of two straight, the Ducks need to regroup and show some more determination in close games. The call on Marchant was debatable, but a player with his speed should be able to use his skating to get in a better position to avoid a hooking call... but that takes consistent effort and determination.

Kings Hoping to Gain Momentum

technologyted@mac.com — Thu, 8 Dec 2005 23:50:00 GMT

The Kings hope to gain some momentum by winning their second straight game tonight against the Carolina Hurricanes. Led by a strong effort in goal by Mathieu Garon, the Kings ended their recent road trip and losing streak by beating the Leafs.

Meanwhile, the the Ducks hope to prove that their recent loss was just a fluke as they take on the Buffalo Sabres.

"Hat Trick Adams" Helps Gerber Enjoy His Homecoming

technologyted@mac.com — Wed, 7 Dec 2005 17:02:00 GMT

The Ducks' four-game winning streak was ended in convincing fashion as the struggling Carolina Hurricanes beat Anaheim 6-2. It was a triumphant homecoming for former Duck Martin Gerber, the Hurricanes' goalie. Gerber faced 37 shots and turned aside 35 of them. Some of his saves were spectacular, displaying the reflexes and flexibility he was well-known for while with the Ducks.

Gerber and the Hurricanes only needed the three straight goals scored by Kevyn Adams. His previous three goals this season were also scored in a hat trick back on November 17th.

At times, the Ducks looked like they were being out-worked, however, they were still able to out-shoot the Hurricanes overall 37-31. In the end, the big difference was in goal. As solid as he looked in the previous four games, Bryzgalov looked tentative in the 14 shots he faced prior to being replaced by J.S. Giguere. The Ducks avoided a shutout by out-shooting the Hurricanes 15-8 in the third period and scoring two goals.

The Ducks hope to rebound against the hot Buffalo Sabres (9-2 in their last 11 games) this Thursday night.

Kings End Skid and Deny Belfour

technologyted@mac.com — Wed, 7 Dec 2005 04:39:00 GMT

The Los Angeles Kings successfully broke out of their longest losing streak of the season by beating the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-1. With this win, the Kings also denied Ed Belfour in his attempt to gain sole possession of second on the career win-list for goalies. The Kings generally played a smart game with consistently hard work. They managed to kill off 8 of 9 penalties, allowing a single powerplay goal while two men down during the second period.

Facing one of the best powerplays in the league, the Kings were able to stand-up to the Leafs' attack and stop them time and time again. The team effort centered around the extremely strong play of Mathieu Garon who played his finest game of the season. Garon, who appears to be making a convincing bid for the starting goalie position, made some spectacular saves by displaying good positioning and excellent agility. One big difference in Garon's play tonight was his ability to control the rebounds. The few times he didn't smother or clear a rebound, the defense was there to help carry it out of harm's way.

Although the Kings were outshot 13-4 in the third period (and 37-23 for the game), they were consistently able to stand-up to the rush and control the neutral zone with timely checks and quick stick work. Both goals were scored by Dustin Brown, his first two-goal game. Brown, like many of the Kings, had an extra jump in his step and attacked loose pucks with a vengeance.

Despite the fact that this was the lone victory on their four-game road trip, the Kings have progressively improved their play and finally were rewarded for their effort. They now come back home to play a three-game homestand against Carolina, Florida, and Washington.

Kings Look to Rebound Against Leafs and Deny Belfour

technologyted@mac.com — Tue, 6 Dec 2005 16:50:00 GMT

The Kings, losers of four straight games, hope to rebound and topple the Maple Leafs. In their quest to end their longest losing streak of the season, the Kings also hope to deny Ed Belfour in his third attempt to surpass Hall-of-Fame goalie Terry Sawchuk in career wins.

Meanwhile, closer to home, the Ducks hope to continue their hot streak and give ex-Duck goalie Martin Gerber a rude welcome home as the Hurricanes visit Anaheim.

New Podcast & Logo!

technologyted@mac.com — Mon, 5 Dec 2005 16:59:00 GMT

Join us for our Podcast on the action from week ending December 3rd. Not only do we have a new Podcast, we also have a new logo! The new logo is the fine work of Osato Design out of Los Angeles. If you want information how you too can get a rocking logo like this one, then please email me at technologyted@mac.com

This week's Podcast features our expert guest analysts, Zoe and Genevieve, as we discuss the big Thornton trade and answer E-mail. We also have a new Good, Bad, and Ugly in the NHL.

Enjoy, and have a great week of hockey!

"Special" Teams Woes Hurt Kings Again

technologyted@mac.com — Mon, 5 Dec 2005 05:59:00 GMT

Despite being competitive for the majority of the game, and continuing to make some gains toward the level they played at in the beginning of the season, the Kings fell to the Montreal Canadiens 3-2. Breaking out of a four-game losing streak, the Habs extended the Kings' losing streak to four.

Both goalies made 28 saves, and it all boiled down to the special teams. The Kings allowed one powerplay and one shorthanded goal on the night while missing out on their only three attempts.

The Kings hope to snap out of their losing streak on Tuesday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Kings Show Signs of Life, Fall to Senators, Move to Montreal

technologyted@mac.com — Sat, 3 Dec 2005 16:07:00 GMT

The Kings showed signs of breaking out of their funk in last night's game against the Senators, but still ended up with a 5-1 loss. Unlike the last few games, the Kings actually dominated almost an entire period, scored on the powerplay with their first unit, and looked like they wanted to win.

Unfortunately, the Senators and some truly horrendous officiating proved too insurmountable for the Kings. The turning point of the game was in the third period when the Senators killed a major penalty and came back to score two goals in 15 seconds.

Among the terrible calls by the referees in last night's game were an altercation with Avery and the Sen's McGrattan and a penalty on Conroy.

In the Avery incident, McGrattan, a career goon with 1 goal and 72 PIMs this year, attacked Avery with a cross-check to the face. Although it was clearly a cheapshot hit with an intent to injure, the referees did not call a match penalty on McGrattan and even penalized Avery on the play!

The Conroy incident involved a Senator player clearing Craig Conroy out with a hit from behind. Conroy, falling down uncontrollably, accidentally clipped Hasek on the mask with his foot. He was guilty of "goalie interference." Hopefully the league officials will review these incidents, but it's doubtful that they will make any changes in the Avery incident. He's been a marked man for the season by teams, players, and officials.

The Kings, losers of three in a row, hope to get back to the win column against Montreal tonight.

Our next podcast will be up in a few more days!

Big Trades, Big Games

technologyted@mac.com — Fri, 2 Dec 2005 17:02:00 GMT

In huge news this week, Boston's Joe Thornton was traded to the San Jose Sharks for Marco Sturm, Wayne Primeau, and Brad Stuart (one player for each of Thornton's All-Star selections). In this week's Podcast, we will take an in-depth look at that trade. Hats off to the Bruins' and Sharks' General Managers to have the guts to make a move to shake up their underperforming teams!

The theme of tonight's big match-ups is "Elite vs. Elite?". We have Ottawa versus the Los Angeles Kings and Carolina against the Dallas Stars. These are all teams that have been bandied about when discussions of "Elite" teams come up. Are the Kings an elite team? Ottawa is for sure. Let's see how they do against each other. The Senators are a bit battered and bruised and played on the road the night before (losing to the re-tooled Bruins). The Kings, highly inconsistent recently look to rebound.

Meanwhile, the Hurricanes, looking to maintain their own consistency, face off against an extremely hot Dalls Stars team. Carolina, full of young talent, hope to establish their place by beating the 1998-99 Stanley Cup champs who are seeking to regain their lost glory. Which of these teams is truly elite, and who will come out on top?

My Odeo Channel (odeo/a927135a775b8b67)

Helpless in Chicago...

technologyted@mac.com — Thu, 1 Dec 2005 17:51:00 GMT

The Kings have finally lost two straight, and they looked terrible doing it. With another lackluster, but slightly better performance than Monday's game against Detroit, the Kings lost 3-2 against the Chicago Blackhawks. After getting outplayed for the majority of the game, the Kings scored two goals in the last 4 minutes.

The main bright points for the game were the play of Mathieu Garon and the ending of their powerplay goal drought. Ironically, and perhaps due to a stroke of genius, the one powerplay goal was scored by their checking line (hard-working Eric Belanger) that Andy Murray had put on the ice after the first two powerplay units had failed to convert with the man advantage in their previous 28 tries. Garon was excellent, facing 35 shots and turning away 32 of them. Khabibulin, on the other hand, faced a mere 21 shots, and very few were quality scoring chances.

Next up: Ottawa, the best team in the league. Will the Kings wake up and at least be competitive? Or are they set-up for an embarrassing loss? If they want to make a better impression, they truly need to break out of this funk that has grasped them for the majority of November and begin winning one-on-one battles, crashing the front of the net, and playing like a team.

In other news, the Ducks are winners of three straight after soundly defeating the Phoenix Coyotes 6-1. Selanne continues his hot streak and Ilya Bryzgalov only allowed 1 goal on 17 shots. Perhaps the Kings should take a look at the way the Ducks are playing team defense.

Kings Begin Road Trip As Ducks Look For Three Straight Wins

technologyted@mac.com — Wed, 30 Nov 2005 16:06:00 GMT

Hoping to begin their road trip on a positive note and looking to avoid two losses in a row for the first time this season, the Los Angeles Kings will take to the ice against the Chicago Blackhawks (losers of the last three games). With George Parros injured, the Kings may bring up a player from their minor league team, the Manchester Monarchs. Jeff Tambellini, the Monarchs' leading scorer and sixth overall in the league, looks to be the likely call up. Tambellini, the rookie out of University of Michigan has been lighting up the league, with 25 points in 18 games (technically in 14 games because he didn't score in his first four games).

The Mighty Ducks will face off against the Phoenix Coyotes tonight. Both teams are looking for their third win in a row. Todd Fedoruk, recently suspended for three games because of his cheapshot hit of The Coyote's Petr Nedved, returns tonight... talk about dramatic irony!

Senators Continue Steamrolling League Behind Emery But Havlat Injured

technologyted@mac.com — Wed, 30 Nov 2005 06:37:00 GMT

Just like the rest of the league, the Ottawa Senators have faced adversity. The beginning of the year trade of veteran Marian Hossa for Dany Heatley could have wreaked havoc with team chemistry. Talented winger Martin Havlat was suspended for 5 games after a groin kicking incident. Dominik Hasek's age was a question mark. Wade Redden, the fourth leading scorer among D-men, suffered a knee injury that forced him to miss a week so far.

However, the Senators haven't missed a beat at all and lead the league in points, goals for, and goals against. Hasek has silenced critics by being one of the top goalies this season. Heatley has fit like a glove with the rest of while helping form one of the most dynamic lines in the league (along with Spezza and Alfredsson). Of the Senators' three total losses this season, two have come against the Carolina Hurricanes. One of the many amazing statistics in this incredible season for them (so far), is the steady play of untested back-up goalie, Ray Emery. In six starts, he has six wins. Going back to the last season, he has nine wins total, a record for wins at the beginning of a career.

Added: Martin Havlat was injured in the game. His dislocated shoulder will result in him missing at least one month. With the Senator's depth, I think they will continue to flourish.

Hats off to Ray Emery and the rest of the team. There hasn't been any other team this season to play with their consistency, domination, poise, and teamwork.

Eric Daze and Chicago Blackhawks Update

technologyted@mac.com — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 20:40:00 GMT

In today's Chicago Sun-Times, Dave Tallon, the current GM of the Chicago Blackhawks briefly commented on his concerns that Eric Daze's back may not allow him to return effectively. In our Podcast, we mentioned a rumor from the same paper that stated that Daze may be traded.

Hopefully Daze, a big winger with great hands, will recover. Of course, with the lack of consistency the 'Hawks are playing with, perhaps it will be a race to see who will leave Chicago first... Dave Tallon, Eric Daze, or head coach Trent Yawney. My bets are on Yawney leaving first if they 'Hawks don't wake up soon. Tallon will want to blame someone... and isn't it always the coach's fault first?

Kings Need "KISS"ing Lesson

technologyted@mac.com — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 06:05:00 GMT

Another game, another big ol' goose egg for the Kings on the powerplay. The problems didn't end at the powerplay, though. The Kings, seeking to find their place within the hockey elite this season, looked totally out of place the whole game; they were out-played, out-worked, and just plain out of it.

The Kings' "powerless play" was embarrassing at times. The Wings on the other hand executed a textbook powerplay with good movement with and without the puck; taking shots, clogging the front of the net, and cycling a lot. The Kings continued to play on the perimeter and looked hesitant to shoot on the PP. Will somebody please tell John Van Boxmeer (the Kings' Assistant Coach in charge of special teams) to get the players to just Keep It Simple, Stupid!

They lost 5-2 to the Red Wings, but it didn't even seem that close. One of the only bright spots for the night was the penalty shot by Joe Corvo in the second period (even though it was a bad call by the referee).

On a positive note (for the Wings), Yzerman didn't look like a 40-year-old man (like he did against the Ducks). Scoring a goal and an assist, he had a jump in his step and looked like he had way more energy than the entire Kings team did.

Are the Kings one of the "elite" teams this year? Not according to this game. The real question is whether this was just one bad game against one of the better teams in the league, or was it an indication of some glaring difficulties to come? The next game against Chicago (whom the Kings have beaten twice already this season) should be easier, but Ottawa, Montreal, and Toronto are also coming up, and none of them will go easy on the Kings.

Rookie Smackdown and Field Trip

technologyted@mac.com — Mon, 28 Nov 2005 17:09:00 GMT

Listen to our enhanced Podcast for news about the past week's action in the NHL. We introduce "The Good, Bad, and Ugly" in Hockey. Our special feature this week is a Rookie Smackdown analysis of Ovechkin and Crosby, the two exciting players from the Caps and Pens.

SoCal HockeyCast also welcomes two special guest analysts who contribute thoughts on our field trip to the Mighty Ducks vs. Red Wings game on Friday, November 25th. We had a great time watching the Ducks triumph 3-1 versus the Wings, and we were able to assess whether Win/Loss records tell everything.

Don't forget, you can subscribe to our Podcast through iTunes or any other Podcasting Client Software. This is an enhanced Podcast, so you will need iTunes or another application that will show the chapters, images, and URLs. You can copy and paste our rss feed to your subscription box in your Podcatching software...

http://socalhockey.libsyn.com/rss

Copy and paste the above rss feed address or press the iTunes button below to go straight to our iTunes site.

Happy Hockey!

Field Trip

technologyted@mac.com — Sat, 26 Nov 2005 06:53:00 GMT

Today I went on a field trip to the Arrowhead Pond. Ducks versus Red Wings. Are the Ducks as bad as their record? Are the Wings as good as theirs? By now you know the score... but I got to see them live for better assessment.

My thoughts, rants, and raves on this will all be revealed in the next podcast! Join me!

Happy Turkeyday! (or Tofurkeyday for Vegetarians)

technologyted@mac.com — Thu, 24 Nov 2005 15:37:00 GMT

Happy Thanksgiving folks!

I'm thankful that the Kings, Predators, Rangers, Thrashers, Canucks, and Sharks are playing today, but I wouldn't be sad if they got a day off too! Even hockey players have families and loved ones to be with.

But, at the same time, since I'm home, I'm glad I get to enjoy some hockey! The key match-up today will be the Kings and the Preds. Nashville has cooled down a little since their amazing run at the start of the season, but they still only have 3 losses on the season.

By the way, one of my favorite places to go is the Online Kingdom, a site dedicated to everything hockey but especially the Kings!

To all my listeners and readers... enjoy your food, family, and hockey today (not necessarily in that order)!

Directories Carrying SoCal HockeyCast

technologyted@mac.com — Wed, 23 Nov 2005 02:29:00 GMT

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And more to come!

First Quarter Surprises and Thoughts

technologyted@mac.com — Tue, 22 Nov 2005 22:18:00 GMT

Here is an enhanced podcast of my thoughts and opinions after the first quarter of the NHL season. You will need iTunes or another podcast client that will play the enhanced podcast AAC format.

Enhanced podcasts are more than just audio. You can embed images, video, text, and URL addresses. Enjoy!

One Quarter Down

technologyted@mac.com — Mon, 21 Nov 2005 23:25:00 GMT

Wow! One quarter of the season has already been completed. A big round of applause for the top teams in the divisions. Did anyone predict that Ottawa, Carolina, and NY Rangers would be atop the East and that Detroit, Vancouver, and Los Angeles would be sitting pretty in the West? Sure, lots of us predicted Ottawa, Detroit, and Vancouver would do well, but Carolina, NY, and LA? As a life-long Kings fan, I've got to admit that I wasn't surprised, but I've always been an optimist where they're concerned.

Three quarters of a season to go and we've got a lot of great hockey ahead of us. There are approximately 17 players on pace for 100 point seasons, and there could be even more than that! There are also at least nine players who could have 50 goals this season. Looks like the glory days (for scorers) of the late eighties and early nineties are back!
I'll have my first official Libsyn podcast up in the next day or two, so stay tuned!

Fedorov a Duck No More

technologyted@mac.com — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 05:45:00 GMT

Contrary to popular belief, the trading of Sergei Fedorov is not just about the salary cap. Fedorov has been injured and ineffective thus far this season, and, although the season is still relatively early, he's expendable. In this new-look NHL, the Ducks have fared relatively well without the six-time All-Star forward. They aren't the top of the league, but they aren't the bottom either. The emergence of youngsters like Andy McDonald and Joffrey Lupul, and the re-birth of Teemu Selanne has made the team competitive even without the aging, injured Fedorov. Would the Ducks be better with him? Sure. But they also have have a lot of youngsters who have responded well, and the team isn't too far out of the playoffs yet despite a current losing streak that is at five games. I think the Ducks can still do better, and with this trade, the management is sending a clear message that anybody can go, but they think the team has done fine without their "star."

Meanwhile, Columbus, reeling from the loss of their best player, Rick Nash, need an injection of anything to get them back on track. It's a good trade for both teams because the Ducks get some character players who will continue to bring effort to the rink each game. Shedding Fedorov's multi-million dollar contract is a bonus, but not the whole story.

A Break from Hockey

technologyted@mac.com — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 00:14:00 GMT

Other than my love of hockey, I am a life-long learner and educator. Here's a sample of the type of work I do with students. It's an enhanced Podcast of an Ancient Egyptian rap that my students wrote, recorded, and edited. They used GarageBand, a free tool for all new Mac users.

Although I've been a hockey fan since the age of 7, I love teaching as much as hockey. Enjoy!

Now, back to hockey!!!

Kings a Contender?

technologyted@mac.com — Mon, 14 Nov 2005 23:10:00 GMT

It's hard to believe that the LA Kings are top of the Pacific at this point in the season. Sure, it's early in the season, but they are surprising a lot of opponents by coming out with a balanced attack, solid defense, and some high-quality goaltending. True, the best goalie on the team actually started the season as their number two, but when Garon faltered, Labarbera picked up the opportunity and has responded. The Kings have played well against good and bad teams alike.

An all-star year from the NHL's top-scoring defenseman, Lubomir Visnovsky, and great play by Pavol Demitra and youngsters Alex Frolov and Dustin Brown have helped the team immensely. We'll see if this continues as they begin to play more road games and teams above .500.

Welcome to my Blog and Podcast

technologyted@mac.com — Mon, 14 Nov 2005 22:50:00 GMT

Welcome to my new Blog and Podcast. This was formerly on a generic Blogger account, but what I want to do with it requires more than that! Hence the move to libsyn, an awesome service when you want to work with media files.

What you will find in this Blog and Podcast are insights, information, entertainment, rumors, and opinions on ice hockey from a Southern California perspective.

I've been a hockey fan since 1977, and you can tell that I'm a true fan because my favorite team, the LA Kings, have never won the Stanley Cup, and I still LOVE hockey. Please join me for a new adventure in sports podcasting.